Patchy response of cheatgrass to pre-emergent herbicides applied after wildfire
Aerial broadcast of the pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide imazapic has been used for decades over vast areas to control cheatgrass after fire, but recent studies have shown that the herbicide indaziflam may provide longer-lasting cheatgrass control. USGS scientists put both herbicides to the test in south-central Idaho.
The spread of cheatgrass across the western U.S. is causing larger and more frequent fires and degrading sagebrush-steppe ecosystems. Land managers often use the pre-emergent herbicide imazapic to control cheatgrass after fire, but the more recently developed indaziflam has shown promise in small-scale studies. Researchers evaluated the effect of indaziflam sprayed with and without imazapic on cheatgrass in a burned area in the Minidoka National Wildlife refuge in south-central Idaho. They also looked at the impact of the herbicides on native vegetation and biocrusts. Overall, when indaziflam and imazapic were combined, cheatgrass control was stronger. However, four years later there was a similar reduction in cheatgrass cover with indaziflam alone. There were no reductions in any native vegetation or biocrusts, and increases in native plants were observed in some of the herbicide-treated areas. The burn histories of herbicide treated sites and the amount of cheatgrass present pre-treatment led to variation in cheatgrass control, highlighting the need for consideration of these factors when planning land treatments.  
Kluender, C.R., Germino, M.J., Lazarus, B.E., and Matthews, T., 2024, Patchy response of cheatgrass and nontarget vegetation to indaziflam and imazapic applied after wildfire in sagebrush steppe: Rangeland Ecology & Management, v. 98, p. 432-440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rama.2024.08.029
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