Establishment of Range Grasses on Various Seedbeds At Creosotebush [Larrea Tridentata] Sites in Arizona, U.S.A. and Chihuahua, Mexico

Abstract

Perennial grasses were seeded by drilling or broadcasting on 4 mechanical and 3 herbicidal weed control and/or seedbed preparation treatments at 4 semidesert grassland sites invaded by creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts. The cultivars 'Cochise' Atherstone lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana × Eragrostis trichophera) and 'Catalina' Boer lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula var. conferta) lovegrasses were initially established and persisted in 6 of the 8 plantings on disk plowed and disk plowed plus contour furrowed seedbeds. These grasses were established and persisted in 2 of the 5 plantings made in creosotebush stands treated with tebuthiuron [N-(5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-thiadizol-2-yl)-N-N′-dimethylurea] at 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kg a.i/ha rates. Grasses established initially on two-way railed and land imprinted areas usually died within 3 or 4 years.