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Native Perennial Grasses in Highway Medians: Pre- and Postplant Techniques for Establishment in a Mediterranean Climate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Stephen L. Young  and
Victor P. Claassen
Stephen L. Young*
Affiliation:
Center for Precision Agricultural Systems, Washington State University, 24106 N. Bunn Rd., Prosser, WA 99350
Victor P. Claassen
Affiliation:
Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, 2144 Plant and Environmental Sciences Building, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: steve_young@wsu.edu
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Abstract

Within highway rights-of-way, native perennial grasses provide desirable services to support natural and human constructed ecosystems. However, native perennial grass establishment in annual grass dominated roadsides of semiarid and Mediterranean climates of the western United States requires specific cultural and chemical management treatments to control weeds. In 2004, field studies were conducted in Sacramento Valley, California to determine the effect of herbicide, disc cultivation, and species selection on native perennial grass establishment and annual weed persistence. Perennial grass species mixes common to drier and wetter upland areas in northern California were drill seeded at two sites (I-5 North and I-5 South) that had been burned in 2003 and received weed control (i.e., herbicide, cultivation, mowing) in spring 2004. Herbicides were the most important treatments for native perennial grass establishment and weed reduction. Native perennial grass species persistence was largely unaffected by cultivation or native plant accessions at these sites. Native perennial grass density increased at I-5 North in the second year of growth (2006) resulting in a plant density totaled across all herbicide regimes of 3.9 plants m−1 compared to 2.5 plants m−1 at I-5 South. Vigorous native perennial grass growth in the more fertile and less droughty soils of I-5 North helped to limit annual weeds through competition, which is anticipated to reduce the need for chemical and mechanical control in years following early establishment.

Keywords

ChlorsulfuronclopyralidglyphosatetriclopyrChlorsulfuronclopyralidhighway rights-of-wayrestorationsoil fertilitysoil water holding capacity
Type
Research
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 1 , Issue 4 , October 2008 , pp. 368 - 375
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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