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| COOPERATORS: 3 D RANCH, DONNA SCHUSTER |
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| ROBERT ELLEDGE, KINNEY COUNTY |
| BOB LYONS, EXTENSION RANGE SPECIALIST |
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| SUMMARY |
Huisache trees were treated using the Grazon P+D leaf-spray individual plant treatment method for control in areas where top removal using a shredder one and three years before herbicide treatments. Apparent plant-kill one year following the leaf-spray treatment was very high (above 75%) for both areas. |
| PROBLEM |
Huisache and twisted acacia spread aggressively on some rangelands competing for water and nutrients. A rule of thumb in applying herbicides as leaf-sprays is to wait two years following top removal. |
| OBJECTIVES |
Individual plant treatments offer ranchers a viable tool for brush maintenance. Because huisache and twisted acacia appear to grow rapidly following top removal, these demonstrations were established to determine the effectiveness of the leaf-spray individual plant treatment method for huisache management on plants at different intervals following top removal. |
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| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
In the fall of 1998 leaf-spray treatment plots were established in areas which had been treated using a Shredder for plant top removal one and three years earlier. Huisache plants ranged in height from under 12 to over 70 inches. Treatments were applied by a 2-person crew using an ATV equipped with spray tanks and 3 sprayguns equipped with 5500-X8 Adjustable Conjet Nozzles. Plants were sprayed with 1% Grazon P+D + 0.25% surfactant + 0.25% HiLite Blue Dye mixed in water. |
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| RESULTS AND DISCUSSION |
Treatment cost for the 1-year and 3-year top removal plots was $0.06 and $0.08, respectively Apparent plant-kill 1 year following treatment was 89.5% for the 1-year top removal plot and 84% for the 3-year plot. The one-year plot had a number of seedlings showing no effect from the herbicide treatment. These seedlings were probably either missed the year before or emerged following treatment. Even if these seedlings are assumed to be plants that were not affected by the herbicide treatment, the apparent plant-kill is still 73%. |
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| CONCLUSIONS |
These results seem to indicate that it may be possible to apply herbicide treatments as soon a one year following top removal in huisache and twisted acacia. Additional work will be conducted in this area to verify these results. |
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| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
We wish to thank Dow Lanco for their support in these demonstrations efforts. |
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