Greenhouse evaluation of Great Plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed control

To combat the decline in North American grasslands and prairies, innovative strategies to establish new native grass and forb plantings must be considered. Integrated vegetation management entails the use of many practices to cultivate desirable vegetation along roadsides, including mowing, applying...

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Main Authors: Rachel C. Woody-Pumford, Matthew B. Bertucci, Mike D. Richardson, Dirk Philipp, Hannah E. Wright-Smith
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:Weed Technology
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0890037X2500034X/type/journal_article
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author Rachel C. Woody-Pumford
Matthew B. Bertucci
Mike D. Richardson
Dirk Philipp
Hannah E. Wright-Smith
author_facet Rachel C. Woody-Pumford
Matthew B. Bertucci
Mike D. Richardson
Dirk Philipp
Hannah E. Wright-Smith
author_sort Rachel C. Woody-Pumford
collection DOAJ
description To combat the decline in North American grasslands and prairies, innovative strategies to establish new native grass and forb plantings must be considered. Integrated vegetation management entails the use of many practices to cultivate desirable vegetation along roadsides, including mowing, applying herbicides, burning, and replanting. Currently, only a limited selection of postemergence herbicides are available to improve native plant establishment along roadsides. A greenhouse herbicide screen that included four postemergence herbicides registered for use on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres and rights-of-way was conducted to test their safety for use on four native grasses (big bluestem, buffalograss, sideoats grama, and switchgrass) and seven forb species (ashy sunflower, black-eyed Susan, butterfly milkweed, desert false indigo, Illinois bundleflower, Mexican hat plant, and purple coneflower). Clopyralid (689 g ae ha−1), metsulfuron (4.18 g ai ha−1), and quinclorac (418 g ai ha−1) applied at labeled rates caused no injury to the native grass species or butterfly milkweed. However, florpyrauxifen-benzyl (38.4 g ai ha−1) caused significant injury to buffalograss and switchgrass. None of the herbicides tested were universally safe to use on all forb species evaluated in this trial, with each herbicide causing unacceptable injury (≥25%) to one or more forb species. None of the herbicides studied here would be completely safe for use on mixed stands of native grasses and native forbs at the seedling growth stage, indicating that prairie establishment must use alternative chemistries, plant mixes with fewer species, or avoid postemergence applications shortly after emergence of native forbs.
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spelling doaj-art-e76e26ddf5024b1ba34de383b393a2e92025-08-20T03:31:49ZengCambridge University PressWeed Technology0890-037X1550-27402025-01-013910.1017/wet.2025.34Greenhouse evaluation of Great Plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed controlRachel C. Woody-Pumford0https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6107-1621Matthew B. Bertucci1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0661-8990Mike D. Richardson2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4920-5774Dirk Philipp3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3806-7465Hannah E. Wright-Smith4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1287-1765Program Associate, Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USAAssistant Professor, Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USAProfessor, Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USAAssociate Professor, Department of Animal Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USAWeed Specialist–Turfgrass, Vegetation Management, and Specialty Crops, Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, USATo combat the decline in North American grasslands and prairies, innovative strategies to establish new native grass and forb plantings must be considered. Integrated vegetation management entails the use of many practices to cultivate desirable vegetation along roadsides, including mowing, applying herbicides, burning, and replanting. Currently, only a limited selection of postemergence herbicides are available to improve native plant establishment along roadsides. A greenhouse herbicide screen that included four postemergence herbicides registered for use on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres and rights-of-way was conducted to test their safety for use on four native grasses (big bluestem, buffalograss, sideoats grama, and switchgrass) and seven forb species (ashy sunflower, black-eyed Susan, butterfly milkweed, desert false indigo, Illinois bundleflower, Mexican hat plant, and purple coneflower). Clopyralid (689 g ae ha−1), metsulfuron (4.18 g ai ha−1), and quinclorac (418 g ai ha−1) applied at labeled rates caused no injury to the native grass species or butterfly milkweed. However, florpyrauxifen-benzyl (38.4 g ai ha−1) caused significant injury to buffalograss and switchgrass. None of the herbicides tested were universally safe to use on all forb species evaluated in this trial, with each herbicide causing unacceptable injury (≥25%) to one or more forb species. None of the herbicides studied here would be completely safe for use on mixed stands of native grasses and native forbs at the seedling growth stage, indicating that prairie establishment must use alternative chemistries, plant mixes with fewer species, or avoid postemergence applications shortly after emergence of native forbs.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0890037X2500034X/type/journal_articleClopyralidflorpyrauxifen-benzylmetsulfuronquincloracashy sunflower, Helianthus mollis Lambig bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Vitmanblack-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta Lbuffalograss, Buchloe dactyloides [Nutt.] J.T. Columbusbutterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa Ldesert false indigo, Amorpha fruticosa LIllinois bundleflower, Desmanthus illinoensis (Michx.) MacMill. ex B.L. Rob. & FernaldMexican hat plant, Ratibida columnifera (Nutt.) Wooton & Standlpurple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moenchsideoats grama, Bouteloua curtipendula [Michx.] Torrswitchgrass, Panicum virgatum LCrop injuryherbicide symptomologyprairie restorationvegetation management
spellingShingle Rachel C. Woody-Pumford
Matthew B. Bertucci
Mike D. Richardson
Dirk Philipp
Hannah E. Wright-Smith
Greenhouse evaluation of Great Plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed control
Weed Technology
Clopyralid
florpyrauxifen-benzyl
metsulfuron
quinclorac
ashy sunflower, Helianthus mollis Lam
big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Vitman
black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta L
buffalograss, Buchloe dactyloides [Nutt.] J.T. Columbus
butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa L
desert false indigo, Amorpha fruticosa L
Illinois bundleflower, Desmanthus illinoensis (Michx.) MacMill. ex B.L. Rob. & Fernald
Mexican hat plant, Ratibida columnifera (Nutt.) Wooton & Standl
purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench
sideoats grama, Bouteloua curtipendula [Michx.] Torr
switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L
Crop injury
herbicide symptomology
prairie restoration
vegetation management
title Greenhouse evaluation of Great Plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed control
title_full Greenhouse evaluation of Great Plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed control
title_fullStr Greenhouse evaluation of Great Plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed control
title_full_unstemmed Greenhouse evaluation of Great Plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed control
title_short Greenhouse evaluation of Great Plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed control
title_sort greenhouse evaluation of great plains native grasses and forbs tolerance to postemergence herbicides used for roadside weed control
topic Clopyralid
florpyrauxifen-benzyl
metsulfuron
quinclorac
ashy sunflower, Helianthus mollis Lam
big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Vitman
black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta L
buffalograss, Buchloe dactyloides [Nutt.] J.T. Columbus
butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa L
desert false indigo, Amorpha fruticosa L
Illinois bundleflower, Desmanthus illinoensis (Michx.) MacMill. ex B.L. Rob. & Fernald
Mexican hat plant, Ratibida columnifera (Nutt.) Wooton & Standl
purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench
sideoats grama, Bouteloua curtipendula [Michx.] Torr
switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L
Crop injury
herbicide symptomology
prairie restoration
vegetation management
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0890037X2500034X/type/journal_article
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