Non-target woody plant responses to broadcast herbicide treatment for mesquite and pricklypear control
Data files
Feb 16, 2024 version files 31.32 KB
Abstract
Aerial spraying of herbicides is an option for treating undesirable woody species on grasslands and rangelands, but few studies have determined the effects of these products on non-target woody plants important to wildlife. A recently introduced herbicide containing a mixture of clopyralid and aminopyralid (“CA”) is thought to be specific to honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) control. Our objective was to document the effects of CA alone and mixed with other brush herbicides, including picloram and triclopyr, on two target species, honey mesquite and pricklypear (Opuntia spp.), and two non-target woody plants, lotebush (Zizyphus obtusifolia) and hackberry (Celtis laevigata var reticulata). Treatments were 1) CA, 2) CA + triclopyr (CA+Tr), 3) CA + picloram (CA+Pc), and 4) clopyralid + triclopyr (Cp+Tr). We applied aerial spray treatments on four, 4-ha replicated plots of mature mesquite thickets that also contained pricklypear in each of 3 consecutive years in north-central Texas and evaluated plots at 1 year and 2 years post-treatment (YPT). We developed a tolerance-rating model with 5 levels (highly tolerant, tolerant, moderately tolerant, moderately susceptible, and susceptible) that integrated stand-level percent whole plant mortality (root-kill) and percent canopy reduction of surviving plants. Mesquite was susceptible to all treatments in all spray years. Pricklypear was susceptible to CA+Pc [root-kill more than doubled (33 to 84%) from 1 to 2 YPT], but highly tolerant of the other treatments. Lotebush was highly tolerant or tolerant of all treatments. Hackberry was tolerant of CA and Cp+Tr but susceptible to CA+Pc. The negative effect of CA+Pc on hackberry was greater when hackberry was drought-stressed. We recommend inspection of drought status, foliage condition, and abundance of non-target woody species prior to broadcast spraying for control of targeted woody species or cacti.
README
Title of Dataset: Non-target Woody Plant Responses to Broadcast Herbicide Treatment for Mesquite and Pricklypear Control
Description of the data and file structure
All data are presented in an Excel file. In addition, there is a pdf of supplemental tables and figures.
In the Excel File labeled 'Data for Table 3':
Column A lists the spray year; this is either 2013, 2014 or 2015.
Column B lists the years post-treatment (YPT); this is either 1 year (1-YPT) or 2 year (2-YPT).
Column C lists the herbicide treatment; these are '1-CA', '2-CA+Tr', '3-CA+Pc', or '4-Cp+Tr'.
Column D lists the treatment replicate; this is either 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Column E lists the study site; this is either '1-Vern' for Vernon, '2-Hamlin' or '3-Baird'.
Column F lists the species evaluated; these are either '1-Mesq' for mesquite, '2-Pear' for pricklypear
'3-Lote' for lotebush, or '4-Hack' for hackberry.
Column G lists percent root-kill (values 0 to 100 %).
Column H lists percent canopy reduction (values 0 to 100 %).
Column I lists the tolerance rating (unitless values ranging from 0 to 100)
Column J lists the code for all the abbreviations.
Sharing/Access information
Links to other publicly accessible locations of the data: N/A
Data was derived from the following sources: All data except Figure 1 were collected in the field.
Figure 1 precipitation data were obtained from the USA national weather service 'NOAA' site closest to the research site.
The reference for this source is in the references section beginning with NOAA-NCEI.
Code/Software
N/A