Supplement to The Gazette-Times
1981
orrowSoil & Water
Conservation District
Annual Report
Stamping out a Menace
Noxious weed agronomist
to speak at annual meeting
V
Yellow Star Thistle
Just one of many noxious weeds threatening our county
Dave Humphreys. Oregon
Department of Agriculture
Weed Control Program, will
address the annual meeting of
the Morrow SWCD on Tues
day. March 2. Mr. Humphreys
is an agronomist with the
Noxious Weed Control Pro
gram and has area responsi
bility in Eastern Oregon. He
will be presenting a slide
program on potential weed
problems such as skeleton
weed, yellow star thistle
(already existing in Morrow
County), tansy ragwort and
many others. He will also be
presenting information on the
structure of a weed control
district, the need, advantages
and development.
The Morrow SWCD is wil
ling to accept the responsibil
ity of a weed control program.
Initial phases would possibly
include an active information
program to identify the loca
tion and extent of noxious
weeds in Morrow County and a
public awareness program.
MORROW SOIL AND
WATER CONSERVATION
DISTRICT ANNUAL
MEETING
Tuesday. March 2, 1982
7:30 p.m.; Lexington Grange
Hall
Coffee and donuts will be
served.
MORROW SOIL AND
WATER CONSERVATION
DISTRICT ANNUAL
REPORT
1981
Annual Meeting
Tuesday
March 2, 1982
7:30 p.m.
Lexington Grange Hall
mi
i ne nnapweea menace
No weed in Morrow County
has received more attention
from ranchers and range
managers than diffuse knap
weed. Along Willow and Hin
ton creeks, diffuse knapweed
has invaded to the point that
perennial bunchgrasses have
disappeared and only annual
grasses can survive on the
same ground with diffuse
knapweed.
Diffuse knapweed may be
confused with Russian Knap
weed with the main difference
being the leaf. Diffuse has
linear, thin leaves and Rus
sian has a wider, coarsely
toothed leaf.
The weed is primarily a
biennial but sometimes will
produce seed and die in only
one year, similar to an annual.
Diffuse knapweed invades
poor condition range readily
and will also find a toehold in
good condition range proving
that it is a keen competitor
with native bunchgrasses and
will crowd the bunchgrass out.
Trials are being conducted
in Morrow County with both
biological and chemical con
trols. Several sites were
selected for the seed fly and
another location was found for
the crown borer beetle. Both
insects infest the plant and
feed on it.
Chemical trials have been
conducted on the Fay Riddle
Ranch on Willow Creek. The
most effective chemical was
found to be one pound butyl
Ester 2,4-D with 1.2 oz. of
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