My question to all ranchers or rangeland managers is: Who do you go to
for information concerning control stratagies for various weed problems?
I am also interested in learning about the specific problems facing you
as individuals so that we can better direct our research to meet you
needs. Finally, I am curious about what you would think of spending
government money on a research project that was designed to identify
signals and processes in plants (such as leafy spurge or Canada thistle)
that controlled the growth of the underground buds which many weeds use
to spread. Keep in mind tht such a project would likely take 10-15 years
to complete, and that it would be an entierly different project to figure
out some way to use the information to identify chemicals or proceedures
that would interfere with this process, and a third project to figure out
an economical method of actually using what was learned to control the
weed(s). Any feedback will be most welcome and (hopefully) put to good use.
Dave Horvath
Plant physiologist/molecular biologist
USDA/ARS/BRL
Fargo, ND