Evaluation of Herbicides and Mowing on Catbriar (Smilax bona-nox) in Oklahoma Rangeland

Abstract

Catbriar can be problematic to ranchers who graze rangeland. Five field studies of 2 yr duration were conducted during the 2007 to 2010 growing seasons to evaluate the effects of mowing and foliar-applied herbicides on the control of catbriar in Oklahoma rangeland. Without mowing, a formulated mixture of triclopyr and fluroxypyr (2.7 and 0.9 g ae L−1) and triclopyr alone (2.4 g ae L−1) applied at a volume of approximately 720 L ha−1twice over 2 yr consecutively controlled catbriar 69 and 71% (visual rating), respectively. Relative to the untreated control, these two treatments reduced the number of live catbriar stems 53 and 64% at the final evaluation, respectively. Mowing without herbicide was equally as effective as any herbicide treatment in reducing the catbriar population. The effects of herbicide were independent of mowing (i.e., the two experimental variables were noninteractive). If infested areas can be mowed, adding herbicide is not necessary to reduce catbriar population.