How to Use Grazing as a Non-Chemical Weed Control Strategy

By Devii R. Rao

Do you want to control your rangeland weeds without using herbicides? Check out the new manual called, “Best Management Practices for Non-Chemical Weed Control,” a collaboration between the University of California Cooperative Extension and California Invasive Plant Council. The grazing section (in Chapter 5), led by Theresa Becchetti with UC Cooperative Extension, covers several important aspects to consider when grazing for weed control, including the following:

• Differences in eating habits between cattle, sheep, and goats
• Timing of grazing to control grasses, forbs, and shrubs
• Training livestock to eat certain weeds
• Protecting livestock from toxic plants
• Infrastructure needed
• Eliminating or reducing any potential risks associated with grazing (e.g. erosion, or impacts to sensitive cultural resources or species)
• Monitoring success of the grazing program
• Other weed control methods to use in combination with grazing