CAUCASIAN NOT WELCOME IN THE 'HOOD

I've recently had several questions concerning caucasian bluestem. It is a grass which should be avoided, no matter the application. The following excerpts from an editorial printed in the Spring, 1992 issue of the NATIVE WARM-SEASON GRASS NEWSLETTER, written by Steve Clubine, Grassland Biologist, Missouri Department of Conservation, sum it up the best. Reprinted by permission.
...In my opinion, and that of several prairie and rangeland professionals, there are no friendly alien warm season grasses. By friendly I mean grasses that are not an invasion threat to native plant communities. Introduced warm-season grasses include bermudagrass, Johnsongrass and collectively old world bluestems, specifically caucasian bluestem.

...Introduced plants that stay put are generally tolerable, even useful. Those that invade, degrade or destroy native plant communities are unacceptable and should be eliminated from any considered use.

...The most serious threat and most aggressive of the introduced grasses to this time is caucasian bluestem. I have watched this grass spread from highway and roadside rights-of-way in Kansas into and across native bluestem rangeland. Cattle choose not to eat it and seek out big bluestem, indiangrass, and little bluestem. Over the years, I attributed the spread of caucasian and the decline of native grasses in grazing situations to animal selection and overgrazing of the natives due to the palatability differences. The threat may be far worse. Two people whose opinions on range management I most respect claim that caucasian bluestem may be the biggest threat to the Midwest native grasslands of all the introduced plants to date. Clenton Owensby is a professor of range management at Kansas State University and was my range management advisor in college. He recently told me that he fears caucasian bluestem more than any other exotic. Kansas ranchers frequently ask him how to control or get rid of caucasian that is invading their native range. "I am sad to tell them", says Owensby, "that I know of no way to kill this grass in a native stand without killing the natives". Tall fescue can be controlled with Roundup when the native grasses are dormant, bluegrass can be kept in check with fire, Johnsongrass can be wicked with Roundup or cattle will graze it out, sericea lespedeza is controllable with triclopyr but caucasian bluestem survives all control efforts. "I've been told that it may not be as aggressive in Missouri's low pH soils," I said to Owensby in a recent conversation. "Don't you believe it," he said. "In time it will spread there too. And don't believe it if they tell you that the taller native grasses will overtop it and shade it out without grazing. I can take you to ungrazed places on the Konza Prairie (south of Manhattan, KS) where it was started from feeding livestock contaminated hay and where it now is killing out the native grass as it spreads."

...I have sprayed caucasian with Roundup only to find it outside the area of spraying and back in the sprayed area within two years, probably from seed. Paul Ohlenbusch, Extension Range and Pasture Specialist for KSU, had considerable experience with old world bluestems in Texas before moving to Kansas seventeen years ago. ...he says, "There are agricultural research centers and experiment stations who have experimented with caucasian and may never do creditable research again because of contamination of study pastures. If that isn't reason enough to avoid it, I don't know what is. Once an introduced species survives one winter and makes seed, you will have it forever."

Several plant material centers have tested a number of old world bluestems and other introduced plants over the years. It is caucasian that poses the greatest threat to the work of these facilities. It is becoming increasingly difficult for seed growers to obtain foundation varieties of big bluestem, indiangrass, little bluestem or switchgrass seed that is not contaminated with caucasian seed. Obtaining caucasian free seed from seed companies is also becoming increasingly difficult. Most companies don't even raise it themselves for fear of contaminating equipment and other seed fields.

For many of us, these problems are enough to avoid use or endorsement of caucasian bluestem for any reason. For others, they ask where is the documentation that it is a problem. Some point to the fact that in the tall fescue dominated world of south Missouri and northern Arkansas, caucasian is better summer forage than tall fescue and the five to six inches of caucasian residue into the fall is more cover for wildlife than is available in fescue pastures.

Perhaps, but there is still the threat to the natural plant communities of the Ozarks and prairies of which there are fewer all the time. There is also the threat to other wildlife habitat. Who will we blame once these communities are invaded but, more importantly what can we do to stop it or correct it? Promoting caucasian bluestem and other unpalatable introduced forages is just an excuse for ignoring the real problem, poor grazing management.

Steve hit the nail on the head. I couldn't explain the problem any better. I'd like to relate a personal experience with caucasian. Last fall I found a clump of caucasian bluestem growing in the middle of a CRP field planted to switchgrass. It is beyond me how it got there but it was. I dug up the clump and took it to the edge of my yard where I placed it roots up for the elements to have their way. Late this spring I looked at the clump just for curiosity. To my surprise it was green and growing after having the roots exposed to freezing and thawing all winter. That showed me just how tenacious it is. I'm a believer. Haven't we learned yet! Johnsongrass, multi-flora rose, sericea lespedeza, Autumn olive, all introduced species; should have been good lessons.