In open fields and forests cogongrass initially forms circular infestations that appear light green in summer and light brown in winter as can be viewed in these oblique aerial photographs. So, scientists must conduct more research to determine how to rear the midge in the laboratory in order to evaluate its host specificity and impact on cogongrass, a rather ubiquitous weed in Florida and the southeastern U.S., said Cuda, a biological weed control specialist with UF/IFAS. Thanks! There are acres and acres of invasive cogongrass across the South. "It also failed as an erosion control plant because it was too weedy. However, they aren’t going to clean up an infested field. “Cattle will eat cogongrass when the plant is young,” says Rick Williams, Extension Forestry Specialist, West Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida. Its flowers are white, as are its fluffy seedheads. No cut-mouth issues so far. Photo by Charles T. Bryson, courtesy of Bugwood.org. “Nothing eats it,” Matthews said. These bugs may eat invasive cogongrass Researchers have found a midge from Indonesia that attacks cogongrass. The initial tillage should begin in the spring (March through May) with an implement that inverts the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Cogon grass is also nutritionally very poor, only 7% crude protein. You can also subscribe without commenting. Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. Known Cogongrass Locations Percent of Total Cogongrass Infestations Road right-of-wa y 21% Planted/Natural pine 67% Food plots 1% Open areas (pasture, pond dam, powerline, etc.) It is time for this menace to show its ugly self with a beautiful bloom. If goats do eat cogongrass, it can cut their tongues. It is on the Federal list of noxious weeds and is designated as the world’s seventh worst weed. The irony in this situation is that one of the reasons cogongrass was first imported was for animals to eat: “It was intentionally introduced from the Philippines into Mississippi as a possible forage in 1921. As the USDA reports: “ (cogongrass) leaf margins are rough to the touch due to tiny, saw-like serrations, a common trait of other grasses as well. From a management perspective, cogongrass is undesirable on rights-of-way due to its unsightly nature and propensity for fire. “It also failed as an erosion control plant because it was too weedy. Young infestations are usually easier to control than older well-established infestations. In the South, cogongrass ranks among the top 10 plant marauders, invading forests, rights-of-way, and agricultural fields, literally taking over the landscape and altering ecosystems. “Even goats won’t eat cogongrass,” says Browning.”. "Cogongrass was introduced to Mississippi as a new forage crop, however, it is not palatable for livestock, not even goats will eat it," Bozeman said. Cogongrass was introduced into Florida in the 1930s and 1940s as a potential forage and for soil stabilization purposes. GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A few bugs may be able to chew up some cogongrass, a noxious weed that elbows out pasture grass, golf course greens and valuable ecosystems, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher says. At this point whatever seeds are in the soil will have their chance. Cogongrass is often categorized as one of the top ten worst weeds in the world; Cogongrass is a rapidly growing perennial grass that is tolerant of a wide range of site conditions 7% For newer patches, tillage can eliminate cogongrass from an area if continued during the course of a growing season. Cogongrass first appeared in the area around Grand Bay, Alabama as an escape from S… Cogongrass is a fire adapted species and thrives where fire is a regular occurrence. We recommend that you contact your local Master Gardener for tips on eradication if several applications of a professional strength RoundUp does not seem to help. Retrieved October 21, … Please click on the link below. By the same token, if you have a some you’ve pulled, give it to the goats! However, when scientists brought the arthropods back to the quarantine facility at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce, Florida, they did not mate and increase in population. A few bugs may be able to chew up … can’t believe I’m learning so much for free. Cogongrass is a very aggressive perennial grass. If it’s on your property, get rid of it. UF/IFAS researchers find potential bugs to eat invasive cogongrass. There are plenty of plants cows shouldn’t eat, and if you are going to have any amount of cattle, you need to know what they are. WHY IS COGONGRASS A PROBLEM? Yeah, this one is definitely out of place! Cogongrass makes kudzu look like a lightweight. ), is a very aggressive exotic perennial grass that entered Alabama in 1911 in packing material from Japan. They also had hogs, which they raised in pastures where they would root up and eat rhizomes of grasses like cogongrass.”. Back in its Southeast Asian home, cogongrass is used for basket weaving, roof thatching and paper making… but man alive, I really hate it in my yard. Email 0 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Reddit 0. Among the arthropods they found, Cuda and his team discovered a midge from Indonesia that attacks cogongrass. (Courtesy Photo), Cotton Research and Promotion Act amendments to continue, UF researchers awarded $1.8M to improve nutrient management of Suwannee Valley farms, APHIS changes approach to fight emerald ash borer (EAB), Maine forestry officials find most trees suspected of pest, Vacancies on Invasive Species Advisory Committee. What is Cogongrass? Cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica (L.), is considered the seventh worst weed in the world and listed as a federal noxious weed by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Plant Protection and Quarantine.Cogongrass infestations are being found primarily in south Georgia but is capable of growing throughout the state. All Right Reserved. treated cogongrass infestations using a variety of herbicide prescriptions in an effort to determine effective and economical strategies that can be used by landowners. Designed and Developed by PenciDesign, Rosary Peas in the Great South Florida Food Forest Project, The States in America Using the Most and Least Glysophate, The Great South Florida Food Forest Project, Interplanting Corn and Pigeon Peas On a Slope, Easy Pest Control – Crash Gardening, Episode 3, Making Christmas Cookie Ornaments as a Family, Improving the Ground One Ground at a Time. “But as it matures, the plant has silica on the edges and will cut cows’ mouths. Would you like to keep up with the latest local and national agriculture news, every business day? University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. UF/IFAS Researchers Find Potential Bugs to Eat Invasive Cogongrass 22-Feb-2017 8:05 AM EST , by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Edit Institution And even if goats manage to get past the serrated edges and eat cogongrass – perhaps because other forage isn’t available – they’ll actually lose weight on it: “When cogongrass was introduced, families had to grow what they ate,” Byrd said. April 13, 2017. by UF/IFAS Extension Service. Cogongrass is an aggressive, rhizomatous, perennial grass that is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. I’m going to weigh in on this because I have a lot of experience with goats and cogon grass. Cuda and his team are focusing on the Orseolia javanica midge that causes cogongrass to produce linear galls at the expense of leaves. “Cogongrass was introduced to Mississippi as a new forage crop, however, it is not palatable for livestock, not even goats will eat it,” Bozeman said. If a hog or a goat won’t eat this stuff, you know it’s bad stuff.” Locally, the cogongrass threat is worrying some foresters. This article can help with that. It can’t do it if it’s 5″ tall or shorter. It’s also true that because it’s so low on protein, they will slowly starve on such a diet. A worldwide research team led by UF/IFAS entomology professor James Cuda and retired entomology professor Bill Overholt found species in Japan, East Africa and Indonesia that might help in the battle against cogongrass. It is known to infect 35 crops in 73 countries and can be found on more than 1.2 billion acres worldwide. It isn’t easy: both mowing and burning can cause the plant to produce new seeds and spread. Cogongrass Will Eat Your Garden or Food Forest Trying to get trees and plants established alongside a cogongrass infestation is very hard. Regular field monitoring This stuff is tough.”, Cogongrass is also a physical barrier to seedling establishment of native plants, says Browning. The leaves have a prominent, off-center, white mid-rib, and serrated edges that can feel rough. Cogongrass is spreading rapidly across Alabama and the southeast, reducing forest I will put an armload in for them, and they eat it in the pasture, but I think it would be too rough on their mouths if they were to eat nothing else. It has become established in the southeastern United States within the last fifty years, with Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida having extensive acreage of roadway and pasture infested with cogongrass. The latest research on biological control of cogongrass appears in the journal Florida Entomologist. Side effect of this management technique is that cogongrass will die out eventually because it’s way more sensitive to cutting/overgrazing than FL grasses and the way it takes over is it creates dense monoculture stands and shades out the soil. Zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, antelopes and gazelles are all grass eaters. As the USDA reports: “(cogongrass) leaf margins are rough to the touch due to tiny, saw-like serrations, a common trait of other grasses as well. Browning spoke March 10 to an overflow crowd at a Cogongrass Seminar in Jackson sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce’s Bureau of Plant Industry. Thank you, Amanda – much appreciated. It got into a patch of sweet potatoes once and the sharp rhizomes actually grew right through some of the potato roots. Cogongrass fires are hotter, faster and higher than native grass fires. (2017, February 22). Cuda cited a 2009 report that showed the state of Alabama spent $6.3 million of federal stimulus funds exclusively for chemical control of the weed. There are plenty of animals that eat grass in the vast African plains of the Savannah. Cogongrass might possibly offer a short-term forage value, but mature leaves are unpalatable to livestock because of high silica content and because the young shoots have sharp points. By the same token, I don’t think they can eat huge amounts of cogon grass. X Linkedin 0 Stumbleupon 0. Keeping cows is a lot of work, even if you have just a small farm with a herd of a few cattle. Cogongrass plants range from 2 to more than 4 feet tall, with ½-inch to 1-inch-wide leaves that appear to grow directly from ground level. That way, they won’t spread through their root system. This rough margin can cut the tongue of a grazing animal, and due to high silica content, cogongrass is a useless forage crop.” These factors can spell trouble for people and structures near large infestations. Biological control is more sustainable and can be integrated with conventional controls”. Smart tip about cogon grass. To hope that your goats eat cogongrass instead of almost anything else is a vain hope. What is cogongrass? Much like the kudzu vine, cogongrass was then deliberately planted by well-meaning Americans. Learning very much and appreciating it very much. With no native competition or consumers, cogongrass spread rapidly throughout the Gulf South.” small_cogon_1120337.jpg Now is the time to take action against Cogongrass. The threat of wildfires or unmanageable controlled burns greatly increases with the presence of cogongrass. Thank you for the field report. So, if one wants to use animals to clear cogongrass, the animals need to be supplemented with some low volume high-protein feed, like flaxseed meal. Select your state and county for their contact information. Perform additional tillage with a disk harrow or other appropriate implement every 6 to 8 … At that time, it was being used as packing material. UF/IFAS Researchers Find Potential Bugs To Eat Invasive Cogongrass. Cogongrass invading forested area. @2017 - PenciDesign. Cattle ate the grass when it was very young but would not eat it once it was mature. Cogongrass control varies according to the age and rhizome mat density and depth. “Biological control using natural enemies from the native range of cogongrass has received little attention, and no biological control agents have been introduced anywhere in the world,” Cuda said. A worldwide research team led by UF/IFAS entomology professor James Cuda (above) and retired entomology professor Bill Overholt found species in Japan, East Africa and Indonesia that might help in the battle against cogongrass. A brilliant way to still grow these plants is to plant them in pots. Currently, cogongrass control is accomplished with mowing and herbicides, which can be costly and are not always effective. However, not all herbivores eat grass. ID: An evergreen shrub … A perennial grass, it grows on every continent except Antarctica and has earned a reputation as one of the worst weeds on Earth. In the Mid-South and Southeast, cogongrass has crept into forage and pasture operations, along highway rights of ways and into pine and hardwood plantations where the weed vigorously competes for the water and nutrients needed by forage grasses, trees and wildlife. Please see caption below story. Cogongrass displaces native plant species and can permanently alter an ecosystem, including wildlife and fire regimes. The aggressive, resilient and prolific grassy weed is considered by international botanists as the seventh worst weed in the world. And if someone made sure that there are some bahia or bermuda seeds there they will take over. Thank you, Amanda – that’s very good to know. For more articles out of Florida, click here. In the 1920s ranchers planted it with the hope that they had found a new forage crop for their cattle. My goats used to eat some plants when everything else was gone. It’s not a last-resort type thing; they like it very well. Cogongrass is an invasive species commonly found in pastures that is not going to go away on its own. Cogongrass may easily overtake newly planted pines and cause loss in The big root system of cogongrass takes water and nutrients for itself and will quickly out-compete your crops … The threat of wildfires or unmanageable controlled burns greatly increases with the presence of cogongrass. “Cogongrass competes intensely for available light and nutrients. Hasn’t commented in a while but I’m still following your adventures with great interest! Cogongrass fires are hotter, faster and higher than native grass fires. “Most rural families had a cow for milk and butter, and they needed to feed that cow during the winter. Planet Whizbang is Going Out of Business. Credit: Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org If cogongrass is already growing on your property—and in the Southeastern U.S., that’s a common problem—you can fight back. Methods of control. With no native competition or consumers, cogongrass spread … It has been my experience too that goats, sheep and cows will eat cogongrass if nothing else is available. Landowners have found instances where the roots of the cogongrass literally grew through the roots of the trees. Cogongrass is an aggressive, rhizomatous, perennial grass that is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. I’ve found goat do indeed like cogon grass. Here in Korea, cogongrass was chewed as a gum substitute(young flowers), but in America, it wouldn’t work out. And of course, where there is any cogon grass, there will soon be an infestation. Normally, varieties like the Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’ don’t go to seed easily. Sign up for the Morning Ag Clips below! It also displaces native vegetation in sand hill communities in Florida. Cogongrass, introduced in the U.S. in the early 1900s as packing material and as livestock forage grass, causes the most expensive losses in pine plantations, where it outcompetes native ground cover and increases the frequency and intensity of fires, Cuda said. However, it was revealed that cogongrass was of little economic (forage) benefit and could become a serious pest.”. Yes, cogon grass should be eradicated. “There’s no wildlife that will eat it. Makes college seem like such a stupid waste of my time, life, and money. Pictures are worth more than words. “That’s why we are investigating biocontrol agents for cogongrass. Birds such as chicken and turkeys also eat grass. It can be done in a single year or 2 but every time you allow cogongrass to form that dense monoculture you’ll need to start over. They aren’t as dangerous as the original cogongrass lineages. 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