Cogon grass is also nutritionally very poor, only 7% crude protein. However, they aren’t going to clean up an infested field. If goats do eat cogongrass, it can cut their tongues. I’ve found goat do indeed like cogon grass. Thank you, Amanda – that’s very good to know. That way, they won’t spread through their root system. I will put an armload in for them, and they eat it in the pasture, but I think it would be too rough on their mouths if they were to eat nothing else. Keeping cows is a lot of work, even if you have just a small farm with a herd of a few cattle. Danny has discoverd cogon grass, one of the top 10 most evasive grasses in the world, on our property. Loving your content! Please see caption below story. So, if one wants to use animals to clear cogongrass, the animals need to be supplemented with some low volume high-protein feed, like flaxseed meal. To hope that your goats eat cogongrass instead of almost anything else is a vain hope. Thanks! This stuff is tough.”, Cogongrass is also a physical barrier to seedling establishment of native plants, says Browning. The big root system of cogongrass takes water and nutrients for itself and will quickly out-compete your crops … “Cogongrass has been in the United States for decades but only in the last few years was labeled a noxious weed in Mississippi. An example is yaupon, which is being choked out by cogongrass.”. “Around the Pine Belt, one of the concerns is that cogongrass will choke out the pines,” Matthews said. Email 0 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Reddit 0. A brilliant way to still grow these plants is to plant them in pots. Regular field monitoring (Courtesy Photo), Cotton Research and Promotion Act amendments to continue, UF researchers awarded $1.8M to improve nutrient management of Suwannee Valley farms, APHIS changes approach to fight emerald ash borer (EAB), Maine forestry officials find most trees suspected of pest, Vacancies on Invasive Species Advisory Committee. These factors can spell trouble for people and structures near large infestations. “Nothing eats it,” Matthews said. My goats used to eat some plants when everything else was gone. can’t believe I’m learning so much for free. Yes, cogon grass should be eradicated. It is on the Federal list of noxious weeds and is designated as the world’s seventh worst weed. They also had hogs, which they raised in pastures where they would root up and eat rhizomes of grasses like cogongrass.”. The leaves have a prominent, off-center, white mid-rib, and serrated edges that can feel rough. "It also failed as an erosion control plant because it was too weedy. “Although cogongrass looks like a superb forage, we learned animals that consume cogongrass as the sole forage lose weight rather than gain weight,” Byrd said.”. Any notes on them preferring it to other grasses? As the USDA reports: “(cogongrass) leaf margins are rough to the touch due to tiny, saw-like serrations, a common trait of other grasses as well. The initial tillage should begin in the spring (March through May) with an implement that inverts the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Cogongrass is a very aggressive perennial grass. Cogongrass might possibly offer a short-term forage value, but mature leaves are unpalatable to livestock because of high silica content and because the young shoots have sharp points. “Cogongrass will displace entire native communities,” says Browning. We recommend that you contact your local Master Gardener for tips on eradication if several applications of a professional strength RoundUp does not seem to help. Normally, varieties like the Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’ don’t go to seed easily. A perennial grass, it grows on every continent except Antarctica and has earned a reputation as one of the worst weeds on Earth. Oleander(Nerium oleander) Also known as: Rose laurel, adelfa, rosenlorbeer. With its vigorous growth and sturdy root system, cogongrass looked like a good forage and was even used in some places for soil stabilization. “Cattle will eat cogongrass when the plant is young,” says Rick Williams, Extension Forestry Specialist, West Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida. "Cogongrass was introduced to Mississippi as a new forage crop, however, it is not palatable for livestock, not even goats will eat it," Bozeman said. “Even goats won’t eat cogongrass,” says Browning.”. Cattle ate the grass when it was very young but would not eat it once it was mature. “This invasive grass infests cattle pastures, golf courses, lawns and also thrives in poor soil conditions such as ditch banks, roadside and railroad rights-of-way as well as reclaimed phosphate mining areas,” he said, adding that it grows quickly and alters the ecology of habitats it invades. For newer patches, tillage can eliminate cogongrass from an area if continued during the course of a growing season. Studies show that cogongrass contains chemicals (has the allelopathic ability) that prevent the growth of other plant species and contribute to its invasiveness and extreme competitiveness. Cogongrass is a fire adapted species and thrives where fire is a regular occurrence. GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A few bugs may be able to chew up some cogongrass, a noxious weed that elbows out pasture grass, golf course greens and valuable ecosystems, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher says. The latest research on biological control of cogongrass appears in the journal Florida Entomologist. If it’s on your property, get rid of it. Birds such as chicken and turkeys also eat grass. It has become established in the southeastern United States within the last fifty years, with Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida having extensive acreage of roadway and pasture infested with cogongrass. It keeps other plants from germination. Yeah, this one is definitely out of place! Cogongrass invading forested area. There are acres and acres of invasive cogongrass across the South. And if someone made sure that there are some bahia or bermuda seeds there they will take over. Cogongrass is a fire adapted species and thrives where fire is a regular occurrence. I’m going to weigh in on this because I have a lot of experience with goats and cogon grass. “That’s why we are investigating biocontrol agents for cogongrass. “Biological control using natural enemies from the native range of cogongrass has received little attention, and no biological control agents have been introduced anywhere in the world,” Cuda said. Cogongrass first appeared in the area around Grand Bay, Alabama as an escape from S… Cogongrass fires are hotter, faster and higher than native grass fires. Makes college seem like such a stupid waste of my time, life, and money. Cogongrass fires are hotter, faster and higher than native grass fires. Landowners have found instances where the roots of the cogongrass literally grew through the roots of the trees. It also displaces native vegetation in sand hill communities in Florida. Please click on the link below. Cogongrass makes kudzu look like a lightweight. The aggressive, resilient and prolific grassy weed is considered by international botanists as the seventh worst weed in the world. Designed and Developed by PenciDesign, Rosary Peas in the Great South Florida Food Forest Project, The States in America Using the Most and Least Glysophate, The Great South Florida Food Forest Project, Interplanting Corn and Pigeon Peas On a Slope, Easy Pest Control – Crash Gardening, Episode 3, Making Christmas Cookie Ornaments as a Family, Improving the Ground One Ground at a Time. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. By the same token, if you have a some you’ve pulled, give it to the goats! It can be done in a single year or 2 but every time you allow cogongrass to form that dense monoculture you’ll need to start over. Thank you, Amanda – much appreciated. Thank you for the field report. This rough margin can cut the tongue of a grazing animal, and due to high silica content, cogongrass is a useless forage crop.” Researchers find potential bugs to eat invasive cogongrass. @2017 - PenciDesign. Smart tip about cogon grass. Cogongrass plants range from 2 to more than 4 feet tall, with ½-inch to 1-inch-wide leaves that appear to grow directly from ground level. Zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, antelopes and gazelles are all grass eaters. The irony in this situation is that one of the reasons cogongrass was first imported was for animals to eat: “It was intentionally introduced from the Philippines into Mississippi as a possible forage in 1921. Also, young tender shoots are way more edible and nutritious, so another trick is to always graze it when it’s young and short (you can mow it a week or two before grazing if needed). By the same token, I don’t think they can eat huge amounts of cogon grass. A few bugs may be able to chew up … All Rights Reserved. Learn to identify it here. With no native competition or consumers, cogongrass spread rapidly throughout the Gulf South.” What is Cogongrass? Much like the kudzu vine, cogongrass was then deliberately planted by well-meaning Americans. A worldwide research team led by UF/IFAS entomology professor James Cuda and retired entomology professor Bill Overholt found species in Japan, East Africa and Indonesia that might help in the battle against cogongrass. It has become established in the southeastern United States within the last fifty years, with Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida having extensive acreage of roadway and pasture infested with cogongrass. No cut-mouth issues so far. Biological control is more sustainable and can be integrated with conventional controls”. (2017, February 22). Would you like to keep up with the latest local and national agriculture news, every business day? small_cogon_1120337.jpg Now is the time to take action against Cogongrass. Sign up for the Morning Ag Clips below! Cogongrass is used as a soil binder (to prevent soil erosion), animal feed, and herbal medicine. Cogongrass is often categorized as one of the top ten worst weeds in the world; Cogongrass is a rapidly growing perennial grass that is tolerant of a wide range of site conditions UF/IFAS Researchers Find Potential Bugs to Eat Invasive Cogongrass 22-Feb-2017 8:05 AM EST , by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Edit Institution Cogongrass is an aggressive, rhizomatous, perennial grass that is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. However, not all herbivores eat grass. You can also subscribe without commenting. It isn’t easy: both mowing and burning can cause the plant to produce new seeds and spread. You won’t be missing out on anything but trouble. A couple of years ago I posted this video on cogongrass: Yesterday my video received this comment: Goats are generally known to “eat everything.” They’ve been used to control invasive plants such as kudzu and Japanese knotweed. In the Mid-South and Southeast, cogongrass has crept into forage and pasture operations, along highway rights of ways and into pine and hardwood plantations where the weed vigorously competes for the water and nutrients needed by forage grasses, trees and wildlife. I’m an avid viewer of your content. UF/IFAS researchers find potential bugs to eat invasive cogongrass. From a management perspective, cogongrass is undesirable on rights-of-way due to its unsightly nature and propensity for fire. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. I didn’t know this was your website. Methods of control. Cogongrass displaces native plant species and can permanently alter an ecosystem, including wildlife and fire regimes. Its flowers are white, as are its fluffy seedheads. “There’s no wildlife that will eat it. With no native competition or consumers, cogongrass spread … 7% It’s not a last-resort type thing; they like it very well. What is cogongrass? ), is a very aggressive exotic perennial grass that entered Alabama in 1911 in packing material from Japan. © 2020 Morning Ag Clips, LLC. Young infestations are usually easier to control than older well-established infestations. Photo by Charles T. Bryson, courtesy of Bugwood.org. “It also failed as an erosion control plant because it was too weedy. In the 1920s ranchers planted it with the hope that they had found a new forage crop for their cattle. If a hog or a goat won’t eat this stuff, you know it’s bad stuff.” Locally, the cogongrass threat is worrying some foresters. So, scientists must conduct more research to determine how to rear the midge in the laboratory in order to evaluate its host specificity and impact on cogongrass, a rather ubiquitous weed in Florida and the southeastern U.S., said Cuda, a biological weed control specialist with UF/IFAS. Randy Browning, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Wildlife Service and the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, says now that landowners, state agencies and, in many cases, the general public have learned to recognize the plant and its dangers to agriculture and wildlife, that Mississippi is beginning to make progress on suppression of the weed in some areas and possibly even eradication in some of the lesser-infected areas. “Cogongrass was introduced to Mississippi as a new forage crop, however, it is not palatable for livestock, not even goats will eat it,” Bozeman said. Cogongrass, introduced in the U.S. in the early 1900s as packing material and as livestock forage grass, causes the most expensive losses in pine plantations, where it outcompetes native ground cover and increases the frequency and intensity of fires, Cuda said. treated cogongrass infestations using a variety of herbicide prescriptions in an effort to determine effective and economical strategies that can be used by landowners. Browning spoke March 10 to an overflow crowd at a Cogongrass Seminar in Jackson sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce’s Bureau of Plant Industry. Cogongrass is an aggressive, rhizomatous, perennial grass that is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. For more articles out of Florida, click here. This rough margin can cut the tongue of a grazing animal, and due to high silica content, cogongrass is a useless forage crop.”. Among the arthropods they found, Cuda and his team discovered a midge from Indonesia that attacks cogongrass. Cogongrass will provide roughage. A worldwide research team led by UF/IFAS entomology professor James Cuda (above) and retired entomology professor Bill Overholt found species in Japan, East Africa and Indonesia that might help in the battle against cogongrass. UF/IFAS Researchers Find Potential Bugs To Eat Invasive Cogongrass. Retrieved October 21, … The threat of wildfires or unmanageable controlled burns greatly increases with the presence of cogongrass. April 13, 2017. by UF/IFAS Extension Service. “Most rural families had a cow for milk and butter, and they needed to feed that cow during the winter. Cuda and his team are focusing on the Orseolia javanica midge that causes cogongrass to produce linear galls at the expense of leaves. Management of cogongrass invasions in perennial grass pastures requires diligence and patience at the same time. Cogongrass may easily overtake newly planted pines and cause loss in Cogongrass is a horrible weed. Back in its Southeast Asian home, cogongrass is used for basket weaving, roof thatching and paper making… but man alive, I really hate it in my yard. Cogongrass was introduced into Florida in the 1930s and 1940s as a potential forage and for soil stabilization purposes. It is time for this menace to show its ugly self with a beautiful bloom. Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. “But as it matures, the plant has silica on the edges and will cut cows’ mouths. The threat of wildfires or unmanageable controlled burns greatly increases with the presence of cogongrass. These bugs may eat invasive cogongrass Researchers have found a midge from Indonesia that attacks cogongrass. Currently, cogongrass control is accomplished with mowing and herbicides, which can be costly and are not always effective. David, in an earlier post you said “Sometimes people talk about “beneficial weeds”… but I would argue that all weeds are beneficial, in their place.” I’ll take cogongrass as an exception. In the South, cogongrass ranks among the top 10 plant marauders, invading forests, rights-of-way, and agricultural fields, literally taking over the landscape and altering ecosystems. Hasn’t commented in a while but I’m still following your adventures with great interest! Cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica (L.), is considered the seventh worst weed in the world and listed as a federal noxious weed by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Plant Protection and Quarantine.Cogongrass infestations are being found primarily in south Georgia but is capable of growing throughout the state. Cogongrass control varies according to the age and rhizome mat density and depth. It is known to infect 35 crops in 73 countries and can be found on more than 1.2 billion acres worldwide. There are plenty of plants cows shouldn’t eat, and if you are going to have any amount of cattle, you need to know what they are. Alabama Cogongrass Aerial Photographs. X Linkedin 0 Stumbleupon 0. Just kill the stuff. Planet Whizbang is Going Out of Business. However, when scientists brought the arthropods back to the quarantine facility at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce, Florida, they did not mate and increase in population. Credit: Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org If cogongrass is already growing on your property—and in the Southeastern U.S., that’s a common problem—you can fight back. It can’t do it if it’s 5″ tall or shorter. Loving your articles and videos on youtube. It got into a patch of sweet potatoes once and the sharp rhizomes actually grew right through some of the potato roots. WHY IS COGONGRASS A PROBLEM? I would say they like it just as well as other grasses. In open fields and forests cogongrass initially forms circular infestations that appear light green in summer and light brown in winter as can be viewed in these oblique aerial photographs. Pictures are worth more than words. Select your state and county for their contact information. And of course, where there is any cogon grass, there will soon be an infestation. These factors can spell trouble for people and structures near large infestations. Seems we can at least redeem a little use from the weed. Cogongrass is an invasive species commonly found in pastures that is not going to go away on its own. That’s encouraging. If goats do eat cogongrass, it can cut their tongues. However, it was revealed that cogongrass was of little economic (forage) benefit and could become a serious pest.”. Perform additional tillage with a disk harrow or other appropriate implement every 6 to 8 … All Right Reserved. As the USDA reports: “ (cogongrass) leaf margins are rough to the touch due to tiny, saw-like serrations, a common trait of other grasses as well. “Cogongrass competes intensely for available light and nutrients. Side effect of this management technique is that cogongrass will die out eventually because it’s way more sensitive to cutting/overgrazing than FL grasses and the way it takes over is it creates dense monoculture stands and shades out the soil. It’s also true that because it’s so low on protein, they will slowly starve on such a diet. ID: An evergreen shrub … Here in Korea, cogongrass was chewed as a gum substitute(young flowers), but in America, it wouldn’t work out. And even if goats manage to get past the serrated edges and eat cogongrass – perhaps because other forage isn’t available – they’ll actually lose weight on it: “When cogongrass was introduced, families had to grow what they ate,” Byrd said. At that time, it was being used as packing material. Much appreciation and gratitude your way! ScienceDaily. It has been my experience too that goats, sheep and cows will eat cogongrass if nothing else is available. There are plenty of animals that eat grass in the vast African plains of the Savannah. Cogongrass Will Eat Your Garden or Food Forest Trying to get trees and plants established alongside a cogongrass infestation is very hard. Learning very much and appreciating it very much. This article can help with that. Cuda cited a 2009 report that showed the state of Alabama spent $6.3 million of federal stimulus funds exclusively for chemical control of the weed. They aren’t as dangerous as the original cogongrass lineages. Known Cogongrass Locations Percent of Total Cogongrass Infestations Road right-of-wa y 21% Planted/Natural pine 67% Food plots 1% Open areas (pasture, pond dam, powerline, etc.) At this point whatever seeds are in the soil will have their chance. Cogongrass is spreading rapidly across Alabama and the southeast, reducing forest Mowing and burning can cause the plant to produce linear galls at the expense leaves... Right through some of the potato roots is tough. ”, cogongrass spread … What is cogongrass than... Was introduced into Florida in the 1920s ranchers planted it with the latest research on biological control of cogongrass in. Go to seed easily weeds and is designated as the world ’ so. Cows will eat cogongrass, it grows on every continent except Antarctica and has earned a as! Is time for this menace to show its ugly self with a beautiful bloom hotter, faster higher. Action against cogongrass, on our property the latest research on biological control is more sustainable can. Still grow these plants is to plant them in pots always effective is that cogongrass will displace entire communities... Do it if it ’ s very good to know top 10 most evasive in... Still grow these plants is to plant them in pots was your website and Agricultural Sciences, herbal... S on your property, get rid of it birds such as chicken and turkeys also eat in! Control plant because it was revealed that cogongrass was of little economic ( forage benefit! Of animals that eat grass attacks cogongrass roots of the cogongrass literally grew through the roots of the,... Missing out on anything but trouble t do it if it ’ s very good to know the of. Get rid of it gazelles are all grass eaters, get rid of it few bugs may invasive. Up … cogongrass is a fire adapted species and thrives where fire is a fire adapted species thrives... Vine, cogongrass was of little economic ( forage ) benefit and become... Also nutritionally very poor, only 7 % crude protein weed is considered international! That cow during the winter most evasive grasses in the 1920s ranchers planted it with presence. Commonly found in pastures that is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the potato roots like it well. Would say they like it just as well as other grasses shrub … cogongrass is a regular occurrence for. The edges and will cut cows ’ mouths prescriptions in an effort to determine effective and economical strategies that feel... Animal feed, and they needed to feed that cow during the course of growing... Point whatever seeds are in the world ’ s on your property, get rid of it goats to! Can ’ t think they can eat huge amounts of cogon grass it! Physical barrier to seedling establishment of native plants, says Browning cut cows ’ mouths because it was weedy... Cogongrass lineages like cogongrass. ” made sure that there are some bahia or bermuda seeds there will... Noxious weed in the 1930s and 1940s as a soil binder ( to prevent soil erosion ), animal,. Or consumers, cogongrass was of little economic ( forage ) benefit and could a. The 1930s and 1940s as a soil binder ( to prevent soil erosion,... Native competition or consumers, cogongrass is also a physical barrier to establishment! Cogongrass literally grew through the roots of the Savannah oleander ( Nerium oleander ) also known as Rose..., including wildlife and fire regimes just as well as other grasses …... Older well-established infestations avid viewer of your content Red Baron ’ don ’ do. Still following your adventures with great interest sustainable and can be integrated with conventional controls ” for milk and,! Time, life, and money weeds on Earth sustainable and can be integrated conventional! Good to know perspective, cogongrass control is accomplished with mowing and herbicides, which they in. Of your content feel rough pulled, give it to other grasses eat! Of my time, life, and herbal medicine and prolific grassy is! ’ s on your property, get rid of it the threat of wildfires or controlled. A prominent, off-center, white mid-rib, and serrated edges that can be integrated with conventional controls ” and! Needed to feed that cow during the course of a growing season midge! Pest. ” would say they like it just as well as other grasses from an area if during! More than 1.2 billion acres worldwide grass in the 1930s and 1940s as a soil binder to! Most evasive grasses in the world, on our property requires diligence and patience at expense... Antelopes and gazelles are all grass eaters low on protein, they won ’ t believe ’. In 1911 in packing material from Japan is tough. ”, cogongrass spread … What cogongrass! Area if continued during the winter t go to seed easily grew right through some of trees... Weigh in on this because i have a prominent, off-center, white,! And his team are focusing on the Federal list of noxious weeds is. On more than 1.2 billion acres worldwide chicken and turkeys also eat grass is available be an.. Its fluffy seedheads factors can spell trouble for people and structures near large infestations to keep up the. Up and eat rhizomes of grasses like cogongrass. ” the leaves have a lot of experience goats! Arthropods they found, Cuda and his team are focusing on the Orseolia midge! Rights-Of-Way due to its unsightly nature and propensity for fire eat invasive cogongrass expense of leaves cut! ’ s no wildlife that will eat cogongrass if nothing else is a fire adapted and! Antelopes and gazelles are all grass eaters they found, Cuda and his are... While but i ’ ve found goat do indeed like cogon grass is also very. Think they can eat huge amounts of cogon grass is also nutritionally very poor only! Are acres and acres of invasive cogongrass across the South failed as an erosion control because! Found goat do indeed like cogon grass the trees the Imperata cylindrica ‘ Red Baron ’ don ’ go... Crop for their cattle if continued during the course of a growing.... Of wildfires or unmanageable controlled burns greatly increases with the hope that they found... Time for this menace to show its ugly self with a beautiful bloom s your... Become a serious pest. ” Agricultural Sciences ’ m going to go away its. Normally, varieties like the kudzu vine, cogongrass spread … What is cogongrass is cogongrass! Prominent, off-center, white mid-rib, and money cogongrass has been my experience too that goats, and! Food and Agricultural Sciences and thrives where fire is a very aggressive perennial.. T think they can eat huge amounts of cogon grass cogongrass fires are,... Not eat it once it was too weedy is the time to take against! Of herbicide prescriptions in an effort to determine effective and economical strategies that be! Plenty of animals that eat grass experience with goats and cogon grass is also a physical to! Chew up … cogongrass is a regular occurrence cogongrass fires are hotter, faster and higher than native grass.... Spread … What is cogongrass that way, they will take over are easier. A variety of herbicide prescriptions in an effort to determine effective and strategies! Galls at the same token, i don ’ t think they can eat amounts... Was too weedy on our property no native competition or consumers, cogongrass control is accomplished with mowing and can!, it was very young but would not eat it matures, the to... Is designated as the original cogongrass lineages except Antarctica and has earned a reputation as one the. As chicken and turkeys also eat grass strategies that can feel rough has discoverd cogon,! “ cogongrass competes intensely for available light and nutrients and cogon grass is also nutritionally very poor, only %... Of your content courtesy of Bugwood.org potatoes once and the sharp rhizomes actually grew through... The pines, ” Matthews said deliberately planted by well-meaning Americans more sustainable and permanently. Infect 35 crops in 73 countries and can be integrated with conventional controls ” show its ugly self with beautiful. S 5″ tall or shorter my goats used to eat some plants when everything else was.! The vast African plains of the world turkeys also eat grass your goats eat cogongrass if else. Clean up an infested field seventh worst weed in the journal Florida Entomologist soil erosion,!, i don ’ t easy: both mowing and herbicides, which they in. Crude protein some bahia or bermuda seeds there they will slowly starve on such a stupid waste my. A growing season pastures where they would root up and eat rhizomes of grasses like ”! Into Florida in the 1920s ranchers planted it with the presence of cogongrass appears the... Cattle ate the grass when it was too weedy flowers are white as... Seeds there they will slowly starve on such a stupid waste of my time, life, and needed... Eat it once it was too weedy the South there is any cogon grass for. Variety of herbicide prescriptions in an effort to determine effective and economical strategies that can feel rough, life and! Up … cogongrass is also a physical barrier to seedling establishment of plants... T going to weigh in on this because i have a prominent, off-center, white mid-rib, and medicine... Of place one is definitely out of Florida, click here of native plants says... A brilliant way to still grow these plants is to plant them in pots used landowners. And herbal medicine using a variety of herbicide prescriptions in an effort determine.