Cheatgrass Control Using Bacterial Soil Amendment

Cheatgrass Control Using Bacterial Soil Amendment Project – Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), also known as Downy Brome, is a non-native, aggressive, widespread grass species. The plant is known to have large impacts on native plant ecosystems by reducing diversity and displacing numerous beneficial species. Due to early season growth habits, populations of cheatgrass are known contribute to increased wildfire rate of spread and can act as ladder fuels in forests and woodlands. As a result, managing Cheatgrass has become a vexing problem for resource managers across the west.

In late 2015, the West Region Wildfire Council (COwildfire.org) and Natural Resource Conservation Service (nrcs.usda.gov) partnered together on a Cheatgrass control project. The project used a newly emerging soil amendment, composed of a proprietary strain of naturally occurring soil bacteria, to treat approximately 260 acres of Cheatgrass affected areas in Montrose County, Colorado.

The bacteria inoculant (Psuedomonas fluorescens) has been shown to enhance biodiversity in the soil while inhibiting rootgrowth cheatgrass, medusahead and jointed goatgrass. “With less root mass, the competitive ability of the annual grass weed is lessened. Other plant species are then able to establish and grow” (BioWest Ag Solutions).

The product is most effective when it is applied when daytime temperatures are below 50 degrees. GIS shapefiles of treatment areas were created using a combination of field based GPS and computer based ArcMap software. Shapefiles were delivered to a local aerial spray company and the liquid product was applied to the treatment areas on November 6, 2015.

Treatment areas will be monitored to determine project effectiveness through several control plots that were established using tarps.

The West Region Wildfire Council hosted a presentation from a representative from BioWest Ag Solutions in December of 2015. Several regional partners are interested in obtaining more of the product for fall 2016 application.

Cheatgrass

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