Control of Pinyon Saplings with Picloram or Karbutilate

Abstract

The herbicides picloram or karbutilate were used to kill one-leaf pinyon saplings that form dense stands in areas that were previously chained to remove large trees. The granular herbicides were applied to the soil beneath the crown spread of the saplings by pouring the herbicide on top of the trees and allowing it to trickle down through the branches. Both materials were effective at low rates. If desirable shrubs or herbaceous species were not rooted directly beneath the tree canopies, minimum damage resulted from the herbicide application. Herbage production was not significantly increased or decreased by removal of the pinyon saplings with herbicides. Cutting the saplings and shrubs by hand and removing them from the plot increased herbage production.