1. Establishment and Seed Production of Native Forbs Used for Restoration Jessica Wiese Montana State University Fabian Menalled, Bruce Maxwell, James Jacobs, Susan Winslow

2. Why wildflower management? High value crop with very specific management - $40-250 per lb, depending on species Importance of ecological diversity - Seed mixes typically grasses - Open niche - Ecological services of diversity

3. High demand for restoration and seed production National Parks and severely disturbed sites

4. RestorationProduction

5. Factors affecting establishment Seed viability Seed germination Source of seed Weed competition Herbicide response

6. Objectives Compare effects of pre- and post-emergence herbicides on wildflower seedling establishment, injury, and seed production Evaluate effects of each herbicide on weed control Assess the economics of weed management

7. Components greenhouse post pre field

8. Wildflower species: 5 wildflower species: Dalea candida Gaillardia aristata Phacelia hastata Penstemon eriantherus Ratibida columnifera White prairieclover Blanketflower Silverleaf phacelia Fuzzytongue penstemon Prairie Coneflower

9. Greenhouse herbicide screening Identify pre- and post-emergent herbicides that do not cause seedling damage

10. Pre-emergence screening 5 soil applied pre-emergent herbicide Dacthal WP (DCPA), Spartan (sulfentrazone), Aatrex (atrazine), Surflan (oryzalin), Treflan, (trifluralin) Randomized split-plot with four replications Living seedlings per row, leaves formed per seedling, height, dry weight

11. Pre emergence results P <0.0001

12. Post-emergence screening 7 products Lorox (linuron), Permit (halosulfuron), Prowl (pendimethalin), Plateau (imazapic), Fusilade (fluazifop P-butyl), Envoy (clethodim), Stinger (clopyralid)

13. Post-emergence screening Four rates: 0, 1/3, 2/3, full Completely randomized design 2 soil types Wildflower injury, density, wet and dry weights

14. Ratibida columnifera Control Stinger

15. Penstemon erianthus

16. Dalea candida ControlStinger

17. Gaillardia aristata Permit Control

18. Phacelia hastata Control Plateau

19. Conclusions - greenhouse PRE Treflan and Dacthal least injurious to most species POST No herbicides show significant change for density or biomass - penstemon, plateau - density, rate PRE and POST Wildflower species showed varied tolerance to herbicides Preliminary study Not labeled

20. Field Study Huge climatic variation How can we manage weed competition?

21. Study Sites BozemanBridger

22. Site Properties Bridger Bozeman silt loamy - loess Temp: 38 ° F Precip 15.2” Frost Free 110 days Elevation ~5,000 sandstone, and shale; and alluvium Temp: 44.6° F Precip 11” Frost Free 120-140 days Elevation~3,700 Fallowed in 2006

23. Experimental design Wildflower species – 5 Herbicide trts – 12 Hand weeding - 2 Split-split-plot seeded in October 2006

24. Rep 1Rep 2Rep 3 8 rows planted per species 12 treatments random within each species Weeded, unweeded

25. Is herbicide enough? Economic threshold Timing of herbicide application Gaillardia BozemanGaillardia Bridger

26. Weed Management Economically evaluate hand weeding Determine which is most effective -Integrated weed management -Combined management for highest yield?

27. Herbicide Treatments (12) Treflan + Prowl Prowl Treflan + Permit Permit Treflan + Plateau PlateauLorox Treflan + Lorox No herb, weeding No herb, no weeding

28. Data gathering: Herbicide injury evaluated at time of spraying, 3 weeks, and 2 months later Crop and weed: density and cover Seed production and viability Timed hand weeding ANOVA

29. Blanketflower-plateauBlanketflower-control

30. Coneflower-controlConeflower-plateau

31. Treflan effects

32. Preliminary results, Bridger P<0.0001

33. Preliminary results, Bridger P<0.0001

34. Preliminary conclusions Treflan and Plateau effects are different from greenhouse to field Growth rates of wildflower species makes it difficult to spray at same time Weeds establish prior to wildflower emergence making proper timing a challenge

35. RestorationProduction

36. Acknowledgements Montana State University MT Seed Stock Foundation USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service

37. Questions?