Among the arthropods they found, Cuda and his team discovered a midge from Indonesia that attacks cogongrass. Cuda and his team are focusing on the Orseolia javanica midge that causes cogongrass to produce linear galls at the expense of leaves. UF/IFAS Researchers Find Potential Bugs To Eat Invasive Cogongrass. Cogongrass fires are hotter, faster and higher than native grass fires. Biological control is more sustainable and can be integrated with conventional controls”. “This invasive grass infests cattle pastures, golf courses, lawns and also thrives in poor soil conditions such as ditch banks, roadside and railroad rights-of-way as well as reclaimed phosphate mining areas,” he said, adding that it grows quickly and alters the ecology of habitats it invades. Cogongrass might possibly offer a short-term forage value, but mature leaves are unpalatable to livestock because of high silica content and because the young shoots have sharp points. An example is yaupon, which is being choked out by cogongrass.”. Thank you, Amanda – much appreciated. “That’s why we are investigating biocontrol agents for cogongrass. Yes, cogon grass should be eradicated. However, when scientists brought the arthropods back to the quarantine facility at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce, Florida, they did not mate and increase in population. “Cogongrass competes intensely for available light and nutrients. Would you like to keep up with the latest local and national agriculture news, every business day? “Cogongrass will displace entire native communities,” says Browning. “There’s no wildlife that will eat it. "It also failed as an erosion control plant because it was too weedy. Cogongrass first appeared in the area around Grand Bay, Alabama as an escape from S… And if someone made sure that there are some bahia or bermuda seeds there they will take over. It is known to infect 35 crops in 73 countries and can be found on more than 1.2 billion acres worldwide. Thanks! Its flowers are white, as are its fluffy seedheads. Email 0 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Reddit 0. Cogongrass plants range from 2 to more than 4 feet tall, with ½-inch to 1-inch-wide leaves that appear to grow directly from ground level. So, if one wants to use animals to clear cogongrass, the animals need to be supplemented with some low volume high-protein feed, like flaxseed meal. Randy Browning, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Wildlife Service and the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, says now that landowners, state agencies and, in many cases, the general public have learned to recognize the plant and its dangers to agriculture and wildlife, that Mississippi is beginning to make progress on suppression of the weed in some areas and possibly even eradication in some of the lesser-infected areas. What is cogongrass? It also displaces native vegetation in sand hill communities in Florida. If goats do eat cogongrass, it can cut their tongues. Seems we can at least redeem a little use from the weed. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Cogongrass is an invasive species commonly found in pastures that is not going to go away on its own. Cogongrass fires are hotter, faster and higher than native grass fires. Researchers find potential bugs to eat invasive cogongrass. It has been my experience too that goats, sheep and cows will eat cogongrass if nothing else is available. Cogongrass makes kudzu look like a lightweight. Learn to identify it here. Cogongrass will provide roughage. A couple of years ago I posted this video on cogongrass: Yesterday my video received this comment: Goats are generally known to “eat everything.” They’ve been used to control invasive plants such as kudzu and Japanese knotweed. This stuff is tough.”, Cogongrass is also a physical barrier to seedling establishment of native plants, says Browning. Landowners have found instances where the roots of the cogongrass literally grew through the roots of the trees. Cogongrass is a very aggressive perennial grass. It isn’t easy: both mowing and burning can cause the plant to produce new seeds and spread. UF/IFAS researchers find potential bugs to eat invasive cogongrass. A worldwide research team led by UF/IFAS entomology professor James Cuda (above) and retired entomology professor Bill Overholt found species in Japan, East Africa and Indonesia that might help in the battle against cogongrass. To hope that your goats eat cogongrass instead of almost anything else is a vain hope. Methods of control. Alabama Cogongrass Aerial Photographs. 7% Cogongrass is often categorized as one of the top ten worst weeds in the world; Cogongrass is a rapidly growing perennial grass that is tolerant of a wide range of site conditions They also had hogs, which they raised in pastures where they would root up and eat rhizomes of grasses like cogongrass.”. Much appreciation and gratitude your way! Cogongrass may easily overtake newly planted pines and cause loss in You won’t be missing out on anything but trouble. The aggressive, resilient and prolific grassy weed is considered by international botanists as the seventh worst weed in the world. Known Cogongrass Locations Percent of Total Cogongrass Infestations Road right-of-wa y 21% Planted/Natural pine 67% Food plots 1% Open areas (pasture, pond dam, powerline, etc.) By the same token, if you have a some you’ve pulled, give it to the goats! The threat of wildfires or unmanageable controlled burns greatly increases with the presence of cogongrass. Currently, cogongrass control is accomplished with mowing and herbicides, which can be costly and are not always effective. We recommend that you contact your local Master Gardener for tips on eradication if several applications of a professional strength RoundUp does not seem to help. Just kill the stuff. As the USDA reports: “(cogongrass) leaf margins are rough to the touch due to tiny, saw-like serrations, a common trait of other grasses as well. ID: An evergreen shrub … Cuda cited a 2009 report that showed the state of Alabama spent $6.3 million of federal stimulus funds exclusively for chemical control of the weed. The initial tillage should begin in the spring (March through May) with an implement that inverts the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Cogongrass control varies according to the age and rhizome mat density and depth. Cogongrass is an aggressive, rhizomatous, perennial grass that is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Normally, varieties like the Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’ don’t go to seed easily. That’s encouraging. A few bugs may be able to chew up … April 13, 2017. by UF/IFAS Extension Service. Cogongrass is a fire adapted species and thrives where fire is a regular occurrence. It’s also true that because it’s so low on protein, they will slowly starve on such a diet. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Pictures are worth more than words. Birds such as chicken and turkeys also eat grass. With no native competition or consumers, cogongrass spread rapidly throughout the Gulf South.” I will put an armload in for them, and they eat it in the pasture, but I think it would be too rough on their mouths if they were to eat nothing else. I’ve found goat do indeed like cogon grass. Management of cogongrass invasions in perennial grass pastures requires diligence and patience at the same time. However, it was revealed that cogongrass was of little economic (forage) benefit and could become a serious pest.”. “Biological control using natural enemies from the native range of cogongrass has received little attention, and no biological control agents have been introduced anywhere in the world,” Cuda said. Learning very much and appreciating it very much. Zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, antelopes and gazelles are all grass eaters. “It also failed as an erosion control plant because it was too weedy. It is time for this menace to show its ugly self with a beautiful bloom. Cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica (L.), is considered the seventh worst weed in the world and listed as a federal noxious weed by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Plant Protection and Quarantine.Cogongrass infestations are being found primarily in south Georgia but is capable of growing throughout the state. Keeping cows is a lot of work, even if you have just a small farm with a herd of a few cattle. WHY IS COGONGRASS A PROBLEM? If a hog or a goat won’t eat this stuff, you know it’s bad stuff.” Locally, the cogongrass threat is worrying some foresters. Cogongrass is used as a soil binder (to prevent soil erosion), animal feed, and herbal medicine. X Linkedin 0 Stumbleupon 0. They aren’t as dangerous as the original cogongrass lineages. This rough margin can cut the tongue of a grazing animal, and due to high silica content, cogongrass is a useless forage crop.” ), is a very aggressive exotic perennial grass that entered Alabama in 1911 in packing material from Japan. It has become established in the southeastern United States within the last fifty years, with Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida having extensive acreage of roadway and pasture infested with cogongrass. For newer patches, tillage can eliminate cogongrass from an area if continued during the course of a growing season. A brilliant way to still grow these plants is to plant them in pots. It keeps other plants from germination. UF/IFAS Researchers Find Potential Bugs to Eat Invasive Cogongrass 22-Feb-2017 8:05 AM EST , by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Edit Institution It has become established in the southeastern United States within the last fifty years, with Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida having extensive acreage of roadway and pasture infested with cogongrass. If goats do eat cogongrass, it can cut their tongues. And even if goats manage to get past the serrated edges and eat cogongrass – perhaps because other forage isn’t available – they’ll actually lose weight on it: “When cogongrass was introduced, families had to grow what they ate,” Byrd said. You can also subscribe without commenting. Thank you, Amanda – that’s very good to know. Cogon grass is also nutritionally very poor, only 7% crude protein. Sign up for the Morning Ag Clips below! It’s not a last-resort type thing; they like it very well. Oleander(Nerium oleander) Also known as: Rose laurel, adelfa, rosenlorbeer. Young infestations are usually easier to control than older well-established infestations. Smart tip about cogon grass. If it’s on your property, get rid of it. Cogongrass is spreading rapidly across Alabama and the southeast, reducing forest Makes college seem like such a stupid waste of my time, life, and money. These factors can spell trouble for people and structures near large infestations. Studies show that cogongrass contains chemicals (has the allelopathic ability) that prevent the growth of other plant species and contribute to its invasiveness and extreme competitiveness. At that time, it was being used as packing material. At this point whatever seeds are in the soil will have their chance. The latest research on biological control of cogongrass appears in the journal Florida Entomologist. This rough margin can cut the tongue of a grazing animal, and due to high silica content, cogongrass is a useless forage crop.”. @2017 - PenciDesign. Hasn’t commented in a while but I’m still following your adventures with great interest! From a management perspective, cogongrass is undesirable on rights-of-way due to its unsightly nature and propensity for fire. “But as it matures, the plant has silica on the edges and will cut cows’ mouths. (2017, February 22). I’m an avid viewer of your content. Planet Whizbang is Going Out of Business. A worldwide research team led by UF/IFAS entomology professor James Cuda and retired entomology professor Bill Overholt found species in Japan, East Africa and Indonesia that might help in the battle against cogongrass. The big root system of cogongrass takes water and nutrients for itself and will quickly out-compete your crops … What is Cogongrass? In the Mid-South and Southeast, cogongrass has crept into forage and pasture operations, along highway rights of ways and into pine and hardwood plantations where the weed vigorously competes for the water and nutrients needed by forage grasses, trees and wildlife. Any notes on them preferring it to other grasses? Danny has discoverd cogon grass, one of the top 10 most evasive grasses in the world, on our property. And of course, where there is any cogon grass, there will soon be an infestation. So, scientists must conduct more research to determine how to rear the midge in the laboratory in order to evaluate its host specificity and impact on cogongrass, a rather ubiquitous weed in Florida and the southeastern U.S., said Cuda, a biological weed control specialist with UF/IFAS. That way, they won’t spread through their root system. In the South, cogongrass ranks among the top 10 plant marauders, invading forests, rights-of-way, and agricultural fields, literally taking over the landscape and altering ecosystems. In open fields and forests cogongrass initially forms circular infestations that appear light green in summer and light brown in winter as can be viewed in these oblique aerial photographs. small_cogon_1120337.jpg Now is the time to take action against Cogongrass. All Rights Reserved. Little use from the weed off-center, white mid-rib, and they to. Top 10 most evasive grasses in the vast African plains of the worst on... Establishment of native plants, says Browning retrieved October 21, … Alabama cogongrass Aerial Photographs always.! Entire native communities, ” Matthews said species and thrives where fire is regular. Determine effective and economical strategies that can be integrated with conventional controls ” zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and. 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