Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T08:56:23.702Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of Simulated Defoliation on Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)-Infested Rangeland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Donald R. Kirby ,
Thomas P. Hanson ,
Kelly D. Krabbenhoft  and
Matt M. Kirby
Donald R. Kirby
Affiliation:
Animal and Range Science Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105
Thomas P. Hanson
Affiliation:
North Central Research Extension Center, Minot, ND 58701
Kelly D. Krabbenhoft
Affiliation:
Animal and Range Science Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105
Matt M. Kirby
Affiliation:
Animal and Range Science Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The effect of annual defoliation on leafy spurge-infested rangeland was investigated over a 5-yr period. Artificial defoliation was conducted once or twice annually at various phenological growth stages of leafy spurge to simulate grazing by herded Angora goats. Single defoliation treatments did not reduce total leafy spurge stem densities. Defoliation twice in a growing season for 4 consecutive yr reduced total leafy spurge stem densities by 55% over nondefoliated controls. Grass foliar cover and yield increased in all defoliation treatments. Despite the increased grass yield on single defoliation treatments, cattle use would likely be limited in these treatments due to the high density of leafy spurge stems. Stem densities of leafy spurge in twice-defoliated treatments should not deter cattle from grazing these sites, thereby increasing the available forage supply. The data suggest that repeated grazing of leafy spurge-infested rangeland within a growing season would be required to reduce stem densities adequately and increase cattle use and production from these sites.

Keywords

Leafy spurge, Euphorbia esula L. # EPHESangora goats (Capra hircus)cattle (Bos taurus)Biological controldensitynoxious weed
Type
Research
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , September 1997 , pp. 586 - 590
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Bangsund, D. A., Leitch, J. A., and Leistritz, F. L. 1996. Economic Analysis of Herbicide Control of Leafy Spurge in Rangeland. Fargo, ND: North Dakota State University Agricultural Economic Report No. 342-S. 15 p.Google Scholar
Bowes, G. G. and Thomas, A. G. 1978. Longevity of leafy spurge seeds in the soil following various control programs. J. Range Manage. 31:137–140.Google Scholar
Cook, C. W. and Stubbendieck, J. 1986. Range Research: Basic Problems and Techniques. Denver, CO: Society for Range Management. 317 p.Google Scholar
Derscheid, L. A., Wrage, L. J., and Arnold, W. E. 1985. Cultural control of leafy spurge. In Watson, A. K., ed. Leafy Spurge. Monograph Series. Champaign, IL: Weed Science Society of America. pp. 57–64.Google Scholar
Dunn, P. H. 1979. The distribution of leafy spurge and other Euphorbia spp. in the United States. Weed Sci. 27:509–516.Google Scholar
Hanson, T., Kirby, D., Sieg, C., and Potts, L. 1994. Botanical and nutritive composition of Angora goat diets grazing leafy spurge infested rangeland. In Abstracts of the 47th Annual Meeting. Colorado Springs, CO: Society for Range Management. 72 p.Google Scholar
Helgeson, E. A. and Longwell, J. H. 1942. Control of leafy spurge by sheep. N. D. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull. 4:10–12.Google Scholar
Johnson, A. and Peake, R. W. 1960. Effect of selective grazing by sheep on the control of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) J. Range Manage. 13:192–195.Google Scholar
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous Plants of the United States and Canada. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 626 p.Google Scholar
Kronberg, S. L., Lynch, W. C., Cheney, C. D., and Walker, J. W. 1995. Potential aversive compounds in leafy spurge for ruminants and rats. J. Chem. Ecol. 21:1387–1399.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kronberg, S. L., Muntifering, R. B., Ayers, E. L., and Marlow, C. B. 1993. Cattle avoidance of leafy spurge: a case of conditioned aversion. J. Range Manage. 46:364–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lacey, C. A., Knott, R. W., and Fay, P. L. 1984. Ranchers control leafy spurge. Rangelands 6:202–204.Google Scholar
Leistritz, F. L., Thompson, F., and Leitch, J. A. 1992. Economic impact of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in North Dakota. Weed Sci. 40:275–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lym, R. G. and Kirby, D. R. 1987. Cattle foraging behavior in leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) infested rangeland. Weed Technol. 1:314–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lym, R. G. and Messersmith, C. G. 1985a. Leafy spurge control with herbicides in North Dakota: 20 year summary. J. Range Manage. 38:149–154.Google Scholar
Lym, R. G. and Messersmith, C. G. 1985b. Leafy spurge control and improved forage production with herbicides. J. Range Manage. 38:386–391.Google Scholar
Lym, R. G. and Messersmith, C. G. 1990. Cost-effective long-term leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) control with herbicides. Weed Technol. 4:635–641.Google Scholar
Lym, R. G. and Moxness, K. D. 1989. Absorption, translocation, and metabolism of picloram and 2,4-D in leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). Weed Sci. 37:498–502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lym, R. G., Sedivec, K., and Kirby, D. R. 1997. Leafy spurge control with angora goats and herbicides. J. Range Manage. 50:123–128.Google Scholar
Messersmith, C. G., Lym, R. G., and Galitz, D. S. 1985. Biology of leafy spurge. In Watson, A. K., ed. Leafy Spurge. Monograph Series. Champaign, IL: Weed Science Society of America. pp. 42–56.Google Scholar
Muller, B., Fay, P. K., and Petersen, M. K. 1990. Feeding leafy spurge hay to cattle. Proc. West. Soc. Weed Sci. 43:31–35.Google Scholar
North Dakota Department of Agriculture. 1991. Weed Control Survey by County. Bismarck, ND: North Dakota Department of Agriculture. 5 p.Google Scholar
Raju, M.V.S. 1985. Morphology and anatomy of leafy spurge. In Watson, A. K., ed. Leafy Spurge. Monograph Series. Champaign, IL: Weed Science Society of America. pp. 26–41.Google Scholar
Sedivec, K. K., Barker, W. T., and Prosser, C. W. 1995. Intensive grazing of angora goats on leafy spurge infested rangeland. In Proceedings of the Leafy Spurge Symposium. Fargo, ND: North Dakota State University. pp. 34–36.Google Scholar
Seiler, G. J. and Barker, W. T. 1985. Vascular flora of Ransom, Richland, and Sargent counties, North Dakota. Prairie Nat. 17:193–240.Google Scholar
Selleck, G. W., Coupland, R. T., and Frankton, C. 1962. Leafy spurge in Saskatchewan. Ecol. Monogr. 32:1–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SPSS, Inc. 1994. SPSS Advanced Statistics. Version 6.1. Chicago, IL: SPSS. 606 p.Google Scholar
Thompson, F., Leistritz, F. L., and Leitch, J. A. 1990. Economic Impact of Leafy Spurge in North Dakota. Fargo, ND: North Dakota State University Agricultural Economic Report No. 257. 23 p.Google Scholar
Walker, J. W., Kronberg, S. L., Al-Rowaily, S. L., and West, N. E. 1994. Comparison of sheep and goat preferences for leafy spurge. J. Range Manage. 47:429–434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, K. E., Lacey, J. R., and Olson, B. E. 1996. Economic feasibility of grazing sheep on leafy spurge infested rangelands in Montana. J. Range Manage. 49:372–374.Google Scholar