Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management is the application of two or more management alternatives that are complimentary in weed suppression, reduce the environmental risks of pesticides, increase the longevity of control procedures, and improve crop production, or conservation of resources. The integration of multiple management practices should be designed based on the stage of common tansy invasion.

On small populations in the early phase of invasion, aggressive herbicidal control should be combined with cultural practices that strengthen the competitiveness of the plant community, such as prescribed grazing and forage harvest management. In areas with large scale infestations in the later phases of invasion, first priority should be given to herbicide application to eradicate small satellite populations and to reduce spread along the invasion front of the parent population. Second priority should be given to reducing the parent population using herbicide management, grazing with sheep or goats, and re-vegetation with competitive plants where needed.

On dense populations of common tansy, prescribed burning, mowing, or intensive grazing will reduce plant litter and may improve herbicidal control by increasing chemical contact on actively growing leaves. On grazing lands, prescribed grazing management should be timed to maintain the vigor of rangeland plants and prevent common tansy seed spread. On crop and hay land in rotation, tillage combined with herbicide treatment will be more effective than either treatment applied alone. On disturbed sites, pastures, and rangeland where competitive plants have been lost, re-vegetation following common tansy control will improve the longevity of the control application. Monitoring before and after management will allow evaluation of management effectiveness and locate regenerating populations.

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Last Modified: 02/26/2008