Form Approved
REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE
OMB No. 0704-0188
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OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS.
1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YY)
2. REPORT TYPE
3. DATES COVERED (From - To)
October 2002
Special Report
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
5a. CONTRACT NUMBER
Report on the Workshop on New Grass Germplasms and Invasive Weed Control
5b. GRANT NUMBER
30 April1 May 2002
Fort Carson and the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER
6. AUTHOR(S)
5d. PROJECT NUMBER
5e. TASK NUMBER
Susan E. Hardy and Antonio J. Palazzo
5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER
7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT
NUMBER
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center
Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory
72 Lyme Road
ERDC/CRREL SR-02-2
Hanover, NH 03755-1290
9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
10. SPONSOR / MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S)
Office of the Chief of Engineers
11. SPONSOR / MONITOR'S REPORT
Washington, DC
NUMBER(S)
12. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Available from NTIS, Springfield, Virginia 22161.
13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
14. ABSTRACT
A two-day workshop provided information on new introduced- and native-grass germplasms adapted to the western United States and presented methods
for fighting invasive weeds. The intent of the workshop was to help land managers choose native herbaceous plants to rehabilitate sites, reduce soil erosion,
and increase training opportunities. Western rangelands are typically dry, with annual precipitation from 4 to 12 inches. Participants presented the land-
management problems they face on their installations. Military facilities, which must balance training mission needs with environmental concerns, are
seeking natives that are resistant to training activities and can germinate quickly in a semi-arid environment. ERDC-CRREL and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in Logan, Utah, have developed new cultivars and germplasms of native and introduced grasses
that establish rapidly, compete with invasive weeds, and are resistant to land disturbances caused by military training activities. These plants were devel-
oped by improving the native and introduced grasses already growing on military ranges in the western United States. The new germplasms are also
appropriate for other federal, state, or local agencies; highway right-of-ways; mine spoils; and other disturbed areas; they also will help managers satisfy
the Presidential Order on native plants. Three germplasms have been released to date and eight more will be available. Related establishment studies have
shown that seed mixtures using the native grasses along with rapidly establishing introduced species can quickly form a grass cover that inhibits invasion
of noxious weeds and prevents erosion, and that, over time, will develop into a stand of predominantly native grasses. Other methods to control areas of
noxious weeds include use of chemicals, introduction of insects that feed on specific weed species, and judicious use of mechanical methods such as
mowing, pulling, or controlled burns. Biocontrol research has shown successful control using insects targeting knapweed and musk thistle. Often, a
combination of tools, taking into account the proper timing for each, provides the best results in controlling weeds.
15. SUBJECT TERMS
Invasive weeds
Military lands
Plant germplasms
Seeding techniques
Land rehabilitation
Native plants
Revegetation
16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF:
17. LIMITATION OF
18. NUMBER
19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON
OF ABSTRACT
OF PAGES
a. REPORT
b. ABSTRACT
c. THIS PAGE
19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area code)
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65
Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98)
Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239.18
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