Management of invasive Old World Bluestems to restore native grasslands

Kleberg and KR bluestems (Dichanthium annulatum Forssk. and Bothriochloa ischaemum L.) are invasive Old World Bluestems (OWB) encroaching rangelands in Texas. No individual control method has effectively managed invasive OWB. The objective of this study was to evaluate combinations of treatments to manage these OWB. Primary (summer fire, glyphosate, nicosulfuron + metasulfuron methyl, or control) followed by secondary treatments (plowing, mowing, plowing + reseeding with a native mixture, fertilizer, or control) in a factorial design (4×5) were used to integrate management practices. The experiment was conducted at three different sites, in two counties in south Texas. Herbage mass (HM), cover, and botanical composition of plots were estimated bimonthly over 2 years. All treatments temporarily reduced HM; however, plowing was the most effective until 2 years post treatment and when HM was no different than the control. Total cover was also reduced by all treatments, especially by plowing or mowing, but was similar to control after 2 years. At the end of the study, OWB cover was most effected by plowing treatments, and mowing may have increased OWB cover. Plowing is not an ideal management practice for native rangelands, so reseeding with natives is key to maintaining biodiversity