Grazing rotation on restored rangeland as a new tool for medusahead control

Authors: SPACKMAN, CASEY - New Mexico State University; Stonecipher, Clinton - Clint; Panter, Kip; VILLALBA, JUAN - Utah State University

Submitted to: Western North American Naturalist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/30/2021
Publication Date: 10/1/2021
Citation: Spackman, C., Stonecipher, C.A., Panter, K.E., Villalba, J.J. 2021. Grazing rotation on restored rangeland as a new tool for medusahead control. Western North American Naturalist. 81(3):438-442. https://doi.org/10.3398/064.081.0312.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3398/064.081.0312

Interpretive Summary: Medusahead is an invasive annual grass. The intake of medusahead by livestock is typically low due to the poor nutritional quality of the weed. Utilization of medusahead by livestock may be increased by providing supplemental nutrients. This study compared the utilization of medusahead by comparing cattle supplemented with perennial grasses and forbs, prior to grazing medusahead infested pastures, to cattle grazing only medusahead infested pastures. The animals supplemented with perennial grasses and forbs prior to grazing medusahead consumed more medusahead than the non-supplemented cattle. However, available biomass and ground cover reductions of medusahead were similar between groups. Rotational grazing of improved pastures may represent a management tool that contributes to enhance medusahead utilization by cattle. This in turn may favor restoration efforts aimed at reducing the invasive grass and increasing the abundance of more desirable perennial plant species. However, future long-term studies need to be conducted in order to examine grazing-restoration as a potential tool of medusahead control.

Technical Abstract: Intake of medusahead (Taeniantherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski) by livestock is typically low given the poor nutritional quality of the weed, but utilization may increase through the provision of supplemental nutrients. This study compared supplemented cattle (SUP) in a grazing rotation from an established cool season perennial grass and forb pasture to medusahead-infested rangeland with that of non-supplemented cattle (NSUP), to determine if supplemental nutrients could increase use of medusahead. The availability and quality of different forage types in the plant community, grazing events on these forage types, and animal behavior (movement and posture) using an ankle pedometer were assessed. Supplemented animals grazed medusahead to a greater extent (P = 0.003), and took fewer daily steps than NSUP animals in the medusahead-infested pastures (P = 0.022). However, available biomass and ground cover reductions for medusahead were similar between treatments Thus, rotational grazing of improved pastures may represent a management tool that contributes to enhance medusahead utilization by cattle, which in turn may favor restoration efforts aimed at reducing the invasive grass and increasing the abundance of more desirable perennial plant species. However, future long-term studies need to be conducted in order to examine grazing-restoration as a potential tool of medusahead control.