CWSS Annual Meeting Recap

Last week the California Weed Science Society held their annual meeting in Santa Barbara.  Weed scientists are pretty immune to "weed" jokes, but this year a session was organized for challenges facing the cannabis industry in California (with I'm sure more to come!).  The three day event touched on all aspects of the agricultural industry in California, with a specific emphasis on weed management.  Some highlights include:

• Restoration efforts on Santa Cruz Island (one of the Channel Islands), and the search for improved methods for land management.  
• Dr. Scott Steinmaus shared his research on Arundo donax (elephantgrass) survival and dispersal by ocean currents throughout Southern California coastlines.
• Although cannabis production has been legalized in the state, there is still a long process ahead with licensing, enforcement, and the implications of ongoing federal restrictions. 
• The benefits of mulching in the avocado and citrus industries, and the potential concerns carried with it.
• Ashley Freeman from the CA Department of Pesticide Regulation shared steps being taken in school districts across California to eliminate the need for glyphosate.  One solution included the use of saturated steam for crack spraying.

This meeting and others like it are essential for sharing research and issues in the industry, as well as developing solutions for the future!

Obligatory picture of the Moreton Bay Fig, but more impressive in person... Bonus points if you can spot the handle bar of a bike, someone was enjoying a "root" house on a pretty cold morning1

La Niña

This marks the second year that La Niña conditions have developed in the Pacific.  Last year, this system brought some of the highest amounts of rain and snowfall recorded for California and other parts of the West.  Even though La Niña conditions eased a multi-year drought, they are considered unpredictable (like most long-term weather forecasts).  La Niña conditions generally produce colder and wetter weather for the northern U.S., while southern areas are typically warmer and drier.  

So what could be some potential impacts of these predictions for 2018?  Less than average rainfall could lead to a few things:

• Less growth from native vegetation (particularly grasses) during the winter months.  This could lead to increased pressure from summer weeds, due to lack of competition.
• Decreased germination of some weed species.  These will usually include winter annual weeds, such as mustards.
• If pre-emergent herbicides sit too long on the soil surface without rainfall, their potential activity may begin to decrease.  If the application is timed correctly, the herbicide's effectiveness may be more persistent with less rainfall.

As the winter progresses, more information about rainfall totals will start to paint a more accurate picture about the conditions managers could be facing for the year.

If managed, existing vegetation can used to reduce invasive weed cover

Russian Thistle and You

Either you hate Russian thistle (Salsola spp.), or you haven't dealt with it.  Commonly referred to as tumbleweeds (blown by the wind when they dry and break off from their stem), this plant is so common that it has become ubiquitous with the West.  These primary invaders are found principally in areas with disturbed soil, where they can germinate and colonize quickly.  If you are disturbing the ground (construction) and you can see Russian thistle from your site, chances are they will become your problem soon!

Russian thistle seedlings soon after emergence

Plants growing in a open area

Flowering and seed set stage

Large quantities of carcasses can pile up and cause hazards

Russian thistle is an aggressive seed producer.  One plant can produce thousands of viable seeds, each of which can be distributed by wind for miles.  I once collected Russian thistle seed from a vacant lot where it was growing.  The picture below represents the harvest from approximately three medium-sized plants!

Though viability of Russian thistle seed is short, it's quantity over quality (which can lead to nightmares at a site)

If you know or suspect that they will be a problem, pre-emergent herbicide applications are the most effective form of control.  In many milder areas, these seeds can germinate as early as January.  After this window, post-emergent herbicides should be included in the package for control.  The use of mowing and grazing can be initially effective, but an extended growing season throughout the hot summer will usually require a season-long battle.  If populations can be initially managed, reductions in Russian thistle may be achieved (though they may be a perennial problem in open areas that are often disturbed, such as roadsides).  Developing an integrated (IVM) program will go a long way in preventing these plants from becoming a thorn (pun intended) in your side.

Welcome to the IVM Blog!

We hope these articles can be used as a forum for communicating ideas, strategies, and solutions in the wonderful world of integrated vegetation management, or IVM.  Though sometimes managed under the same contracts, IVM is a "cousin" to landscape management.  Where landscaping is about aesthetics, vegetation is about function.  Keep plants that need to be there, control the ones that don't.  This blog will be dedicated to tackling this mission and helping those who manage these spaces.  

To introduce myself, my name is Brian Glenn.  In case you missed it, I gave a little background on the Landscape Blog.  For the past few years, my work has been principally in the IVM industry.  Traversing the southwest U.S. more times than I can count, I have seen almost every industrial and natural application where management is needed.  From bare-ground utility sites, BLM rangelands, to jungles of tumbleweeds, I believe a solution exists for every situation.  I also know that cost is king in IVM, where the acres can add up in a hurry. 

It always amazes me that even if they're across the road from each other, every site is different.  The good part is that every site has a history as well.  By analyzing and putting these pieces together from an unbiased, integrated approach, a cost-effective solution is within reach.  Let the journey begin!

The world of IVM: Dirt, dirty windshields, and "dirty" invasives