PREVENTION, CONTROL, ERADICATION AND RESTORATION
*PREVENTION: Preventing new introductions of noxious w**ds is the first line of defense. W**ds specialize in colonizing highly disturbed ground and tend to invade plant communities that have been degraded by poor land management. Consider preventive measures that can be used to reduce the likelihood of f
uture w**d infestations. Some common prevention tactics include: Don't plant, introduce or dump exotic plants that can naturalize and spread off your property. Avoid transporting w**d seeds on clothing, gear, pets, vehicles and equipment. Become aware of w**d identification and report new infestations of known w**ds. Educate neighbors, family, and others. Establish and maintain w**d resistant, desirable plant communities.
*ERADICATION: The elimination of all plant parts within the current growing season. By implementing early detection/rapid response, you can eliminate new invaders when the population is small and you not only save time and money, but also much effort in the long run.
*CONTROL: Some noxious w**ds are found in such large numbers that it is no longer realistic to think we will be able to rid the entire state of their presence. Instead the management goal would be by stopping their spread and eradicating small outlier populations. Some w**d control tactics are:
Biological-Organisms (insects or diseases) used to suppress the population of a noxious w**d. Cultural-Methods applied to reduce the suitability of the soil for w**d growth, such as grazing strategies, crop rotation, planting date, applying fertilizer to encourage wanted vegetation, increasing the canopy cover, and re-vegetation of an infested area. Mechanical- Methods that kill or suppress w**ds through physical disruption, including pulling, digging, cutting, plowing, mowing and burning. Chemical- A method that consists of the careful use of low toxicity herbicides.
*RESTORATION: Establish a healthy and competitive stand of desirable plants to protect a site from re-invasion.
