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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Dawson, Georgia » National Peanut Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #190595
Title: REFORESTATION TECHNIQUES IN COGONGRASS-INFESTED AREAS

Author
item Faircloth, Wilson
item PATTERSON, MICHAEL - AUBURN
item TEEM, DAVID - AUBURN
item MILLER, JAMES - USDA FOREST SERVICE

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2005
Publication Date: 2/5/2005
Citation: -

Interpretive Summary: none required.

Technical Abstract: Cogongrass is a nonnative grass that is rapidly invading the gulf coast states, with projected spread into the interior of the Southeastern U.S. Cogongrass is particularly damaging to forested land as it decreases biodiversity and wildlife habitat, hinders plantation establishment, creates a wildfire hazard, and is assumed to decrease wood and fiber production. Effective control and management treatments are critically needed by forest landowners and managers for rehabilitation of cogongrass-infested lands. The establishment of tree plantations has been used in Asia to aid rehabilitation and could hold promise for reclaiming infested lands in the Southeast. Establishment techniques for loblolly pine plantations were investigated for cogongrass suppression in a factorial design that tested combinations of mechanical site preparation, herbicide site preparation, and first year over-the-top herbicide pine release. The experiment was conducted near the original site of cogongrass introduction in the U.S. in Mobile County, Alabama, within 30 km of the gulf coast. Loblolly pine was successfully established in all treatments with survival greater than 90%. Multivariate analysis identified that site preparation method accounted for most of the treatment differences. Mechanical site preparation significantly reduced woody and herbaceous plant biomass in the first growing season, however, significant differences were few in year two. Herbicide site preparation with glyphosate and imazapyr increased tree growth, volume, and density. Herbicide release alone with imazapyr or imazapyr tank-mixes resulted in least tree growth and volume, however, when combined with either mechanical or herbicide site preparation, release yielded significantly increased pine volume in the second growing season. Pine release combinations were tested relative to the different site preparation methods and contrasts showed that spring application, regardless of herbicide, decreased live cogongrass biomass and increased recruitment of other species, aiding in the rehabilitation process. A tank-mix combination of imazapyr plus sulfometuron, regardless of release timing, increased pine girth in years one and two and height in year one only. Because of treatment costs, mechanical site preparation was the most cost-effective establishment treatment after two years.