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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Burns, Oregon » Range and Meadow Forage Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #267943
Title: Interim medusahead management guide for the intermountain west

Author
item Davies, Kirk
item Nafus, Aleta
item JOHNSON, DUSTIN - Oregon State University

Submitted to: Natural Resources Conservation Service Western States Area Workshop
Publication Type: Government Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/27/2011
Publication Date: 4/26/2011
Citation: Davies, K.W., Nafus, A., Johnson, D.D. 2011. Interim medusahead management guide for the intermountain west. Natural Resources Conservation Service Western States Area Workshop. p 1-15.

Interpretive Summary: Medusahead is an exotic annual grass that is decreasing livestock forage production, increasing wildfire frequency, and reducing biodiversity in sagebrush rangelands. The spread of medusahead should be reduced by treating infestations along roads, increasing or maintaining high perennial bunchgrass abundance, and monitoring for and eradicating small populations. The best control of medusahead is achieved with prescribed burning followed by a fall application of a pre-emergent herbicide. Seeding crested wheatgrass and squirreltail one year after application of a pre-emergent herbicide has been successfully used to revegetate medusahead-invaded sagebrush plant communities. Additional research is needed to determine if native plants can be established and effectively resist re-invasion after medusahead control.

Technical Abstract: Medusahead is an exotic annual grass that is decreasing livestock forage production, increasing wildfire frequency, and reducing biodiversity in sagebrush rangelands. The spread of medusahead should be reduced by treating infestations along roads, increasing or maintaining high perennial bunchgrass abundance, and monitoring for and eradicating small populations. The best control of medusahead is achieved with prescribed burning followed by a fall application of a pre-emergent herbicide. Seeding crested wheatgrass and squirreltail one year after application of a pre-emergent herbicide has been successfully used to revegetate medusahead-invaded sagebrush plant communities. Additional research is needed to determine if native plants can be established and effectively resist re-invasion after medusahead control.