Quail Forever: Creating Habitat
Managing Weeds In A Grassland Habitat Project
Vibrant and beautiful grassland habitats are a sight to behold. Switch grass and big blue stem waving in the wind, and butterflies drawing nectar from New England aster and leadplant make for an aesthetic and enjoyable landscape. Like all meaningful projects, your prairie grassland will need some TLC to get started. Particularly, it requires weed control.
Weed control techniques vary according to regional and local habitat conditions. Local habitat professionals will have the inside scoop on best practices. Pheasants Forever has established Habitat Teams in many states and regions, while state or area natural resources agencies can also help.
A rugged midsize tractor and 3-point hitch mounted mower effectively manages weeds in any grassland habitat project.
"Weed control the first few years gives the native grasses a competitive advantage," explained Dave Courtad, of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Courtad, a farmer, hunter and conservationist, transformed 95 acres of his 200-acre farm into native grassland habitat. "It's important to knock down the weeds until the prairie takes over."
Fortunately, habitat professionals have honed weed control techniques and developed affordable equipment that is readily available to all landowners.
Mowing
The most common piece of equipment for weed control is a mower. Three kinds of mowers work well: A mid-mount, or "belly" rotary mower; a three-point hitch mounted rotary mower; and a flail mower.
Mid-mount mowers offer excellent maneuverability and are suitable for mowing smaller stands of weeds. Mowers mounted on the three-point hitch of midsize tractors such as New Holland's Boomer or TN series (www.newholland.com/na) offer adjustable height mechanisms that allow for flexibility.
Flail mowers offer the added benefit of mulching vegetation matter. In addition, they can be offset to extend beyond one side of the tractor, allowing for weed control along edges and among young trees and shrubs.
Because cool season weeds grow faster than warm season natives, mowing weeds when they reach 18 to 20 inches in height can stunt their growth and prevent reproduction. Most importantly, this allows sunlight and moisture to reach slower growing native plants giving them a competitive advantage.
"I can mow any time of the year with an adjustable height mower on my tractor's three-point hitch and PTO," said Courtad. "I react to need: I walk the land and monitor the stand, and then can respond to what's going on right away."
After a few years of mowing, native plants will crowd out the weeds, and a different management technique known as controlled burning can begin. (Controlled burning will be discussed in part 3 of this series.)
Chemical Sprays
Weeds can also be controlled with herbicides. Herbicides are categorized for selective and non-selective management. You can selectively manage broadleaf plants, such as thistle and ragweed; or selectively manage grasses, such as quack grass and foxtail. In non-selective management, all plants are killed. Environmental and personal safety should be discussed with a habitat professional whichever herbicide is utilized.
Herbicides are typically applied using a spray system. Spray systems for small stands of weeds, up to half an acre, can be hand held or backpack mounted. These are reasonably priced and widely available.
For stands up to two acres, you can mount a small reservoir, under 50 gallons, on a midsize or larger tractor and plug the electric pump into the tractor's AC outlet. A boom system is installed below the tank and is a nifty way to quickly treat the acreage. A 16-foot boom sprayer covers one acre in about 15 minutes. These systems are available through implement dealerships and farm supply stores.
For more than 20 acres, local agricultural COOPS can provide assistance.
"I use some herbicide to kill thistle and foxtail, which are really aggressive," said Courtad. "Where mowing will set back the weeds, herbicides will take them out. There is a lot of value in herbicides, but I'm hesitant to use too much for environmental reasons."
Managing weeds in your wildlife habitat helps minimize competition and provides opportunities for a diversity of plant species to mature. Where healthy and diverse habitat thrives, wildlife soon follows.
This article courtesy of Living the Country Life
Recent Habitat News
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Love bird dogs? Iowa's Forever Outdoors event presented by Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) has just what you're looking for. Forever Outdoors, taking place September 6th and 7th at Iowa's iconic Living History Farms in Urbandale, will feature a Bird Dog Brigade presented by Native™ Performance Dog Food and host a regional DockDogs competition presented by Culligan Water.
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Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) announce Jordan Martincich as the organization's new regional representative for eastern Kansas. Martincich's primary duties with PF/QF will include starting and servicing chapters and members in the region.
"I'm excited to be given the great opportunity to make a difference in an area with so much potential for growth," added Martincich. He will also be assisting chapters in portions of Oklahoma and Texas, as PF and QF continue to expand across the region.
...moreQuail Forever Weighs in on Implementation of New Farm Bill
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"It's important to remember the signing of a new Farm Bill into law is only the first step in the conservation process," explained Dave Nomsen, PF/QF's Vice President of Governmental Affairs. "Rules, regulations, appropriations, and promotion of conservation programs are all critical to the magic of turning law into habitat on the land."
...moreCRP Survives Early Outs Talk, but Soil Bank Tragedy Looms
July 29, 2008
Quail Forever (QF) and Pheasants Forever (PF) support the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision not to offer "early outs" to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts without penalty. Today's USDA announcement comes after months of speculation about early outs, which would have led to a multi-million acre loss of environmentally sensitive lands currently providing wildlife habitat, protecting water quality, and safeguarding soil resources. However, PF/QF warns of further trouble ahead for CRP, which has already seen 3 million acres leave the program with an additional 13 million more acres in line for expiration in the next three years.
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