A new field study confirms that an invasive weed called medusahead has growth advantages over most other grass species, suggesting it will continue to spread across much of the West, disrupt native ecosystems and make millions of acres of grazing land almost worthless.
November 23, 2010
A new field study confirms that an invasive weed called medusahead has growth advantages over most other grass species, suggesting it will continue to spread across much of the West, disrupt native ecosystems and make millions of acres of grazing land almost worthless.
The research, published in the Journal of Arid Environments by scientists from Oregon State University (OSU) and the Agricultural Research Service, was one of the most comprehensive studies ever done that compared the “relative growth rate” of this invasive annual grass to that of other competing species in natural field conditions.
It found that medusahead has a faster growth rate, a longer period of growth and produced more total biomass even than cheatgrass – another invading species that is a major problem in its own right, but not as devastating as medusahead.