i A f C i G iU i M l Att t t f C t ti G iUsing Molasses as an Attractant for Concentrating Grazing onUsing Molasses as an Attractant for Concentrating Grazing onUsing Molasses as an Attractant for Concentrating Grazing on g g gM d h dMedusaheadMedusaheadMedusaheadMedusahead

M D (P f i l P d G t P )Morgan Doran (Professional + Producer Grant Program)Morgan Doran (Professional + Producer Grant Program)Morgan Doran (Professional Producer Grant Program)

P j t N b FW06 304 A tiProject Number: FW06-304 Actions Potential Benefitsj Actions Potential BenefitsTitle: Using Molasses as an Attractant for Concentrating Grazing on Medusahead Four treatments were applied in April 2006 when about 80% of the medusahead Spraying molasses on medusahead is not an effective control methodTitle: Using Molasses as an Attractant for Concentrating Grazing on Medusahead Four treatments were applied in April 2006 when about 80% of the medusahead Spraying molasses on medusahead is not an effective control method.

l t i th b t t f d l tp y g

Ag Professional: plants were in the boot stage of grass development: Th h thi h f il d it i till i d th t i i t i i fAg Professional: p g g p Though this approach failed, it is still recognized that using intensive grazing for Morgan Doran Livestock and Natural Resources Farm Advisor

oug t s app oac a ed, t s st ecog ed t at us g te s ve g a g oMorgan Doran, Livestock and Natural Resources Farm Advisor 1 Control; 100% water applied at 50 gallons/acre weed control reduces the use of and dependency on herbicides that will kill targetgU i it f C lif i C ti E t i

1. Control; 100% water applied at 50 gallons/acre weed control reduces the use of and dependency on herbicides that will kill target University of California Cooperative Extension 2 12 5% l 87 5% t li d t 50 ll / d l d i h i k f i i i li

y p501 T S

2. 12.5% molasses, 87.5% water applied at 50 gallons/acre and non-target plants and increase the risk of impairing water quality.501 Texas Street, pp g and non target plants and increase the risk of impairing water quality.501 Texas Street

3 25% molasses 75% water applied at 50 gallons/acreFairfield CA 94533 3. 25% molasses, 75% water applied at 50 gallons/acre Rangelands can be restored to systems with higher plant species diversity andFairfield, CA 945334 50% l 50% t li d t 50 ll /

Rangelands can be restored to systems with higher plant species diversity and 707 784 1326 4. 50% molasses, 50% water applied to 50 gallons/acre hi h f l th i i th ll l f li t k ildlif707.784.1326 . 50% o asses, 50% wate app ed to 50 ga o s/ac e higher forage value, thus increasing the overall value for livestock, wildlife,mpdoran@ucdaavis edu

higher forage value, thus increasing the overall value for livestock, wildlife, mpdoran@ucdaavis.edu ranchers and recreationistsp @

Pl l d f b i l i i d f bi b f d franchers, and recreationists.

Plots were sampled for botanical composition and forage biomass before and afterd d i

Plots were sampled for botanical composition and forage biomass before and after Producer Advisor: application to see if higher concentrations enticed a greater impact on the medusaheadProducer Advisor: application to see if higher concentrations enticed a greater impact on the medusahead

Jim Yeagerpp g g p

d h l iJim Yeager and other plant speciesPutah Creek Dorsets

and other plant species. Putah Creek Dorsets34791 C k Ed R d34791 Creeks Edge RoadgD i CA 95616Davis CA 95616 D i h i i M d h d dDavis, CA 95616 During the training process, Medusahead never tasted 530 756 2423

g g p ,sheep were encouraged to so good530.756.2423 sheep were encouraged to so good.

jysheep@aol com associate the flavor ofjysheep@aol.com associate the flavor of l ith iti

jy p@molasses with positive nutritional feedback such as

W t SARE G t $3 479nutritional feedback, such as h id d b iWestern SARE Grant: $3,479 that provided by grains. Western SARE Grant: $3,479 p y g

M l d ith i lMolasses was sprayed on with a simple G i ith l i th f d b kSituation hand sprayer Grain with molasses in the feed bunkSituation hand sprayer

OutreachResults OutreachM d h d i i i l f E i i i th t h i f t d 5

ResultsMedusahead is an invasive annual grass of Eurasian origin that has infested 5 Th h th i t did t i ld lt h d f t h d t dMedusahead is an invasive annual grass of Eurasian origin that has infested 5

illi f l d i C lif i d illi i h h Observations and data collected showed that the sheep impact for each molasses Though the experiments did not yield results hoped for, outreach was conducted million acres of rangeland in California and millions more in other states These Observations and data collected showed that the sheep impact for each molasses g p y p ,million acres of rangeland in California and millions more in other states. These p p

to educate the community for future experimentsinfestations result in a loss of $20/acre/year in grazing value reduced recreational treatment was not different from the control treatment with respect to both botanical to educate the community for future experiments.infestations result in a loss of $20/acre/year in grazing value, reduced recreational treatment was not different from the control treatment, with respect to both botanical value and extremely low biodiversity iti d bi d t f l i t lli d h d July 20 2007 field day at the project site for 25 livestock producersvalue, and extremely low biodiversity. composition and biomass, and was not successful in controlling medusahead. July 20, 2007, field day at the project site for 25 livestock producers, , y y p , g y , , y p j p ,

200 d d d i idi i f i d cooperative extension farm advisors and agency personnel to shareR h h h h l i d hi h d i i ff i l l In January 2007 Yeager and Doran attended a meeting providing information and cooperative extension farm advisors, and agency personnel to share Research has shown that properly timed high-density grazing can effectively control In January 2007, Yeager and Doran attended a meeting providing information and

i f ti f b th i j t d t li it d ti fResearch has shown that properly timed high density grazing can effectively control techniques on how to train livestock to consume specific plants (conducted by Kathy information from both grazing projects and to solicit recommendations from

medusahead Spraying an attractant like molasses on medusahead could induce techniques on how to train livestock to consume specific plants (conducted by Kathy g g p jmedusahead. Spraying an attractant, like molasses, on medusahead could induce q p p ( y y

participantssheep to increase foraging on this noxious weed Voth who had worked with Dr Fred Provenza and the BEHAVE program at Utah participantssheep to increase foraging on this noxious weed. Voth, who had worked with Dr. Fred Provenza and the BEHAVE program at Utah p g gSt t U i it ) O t b 15 2008 fi ld d f i iti li t k d f Ut h tState University). October 15, 2008, field day for visiting livestock producers from Utah to

Obj tiy) , , y g p

Objectives hi d h i h d i b b i d extend the results of this and other medusahead-control research projectsObjectives This prompted them to train 25 sheep over 12 days in October 2007 by offering dry extend the results of this and other medusahead-control research projects This prompted them to train 25 sheep over 12 days in October 2007 by offering dry i i C lif imed sahead spra ed ith molasses then itho t molasses; the sheep readil occurring in California

Test the effectiveness of different concentrations of molasses in attracting sheep to medusahead sprayed with molasses, then without molasses; the sheep readily occu g Ca o aTest the effectiveness of different concentrations of molasses in attracting sheep to p y , ; p yconsume medusahead The hypothesis: The impact of sheep on medusahead would consumed all the residue In a field test where a patch of medusahead residue wasconsume medusahead. The hypothesis: The impact of sheep on medusahead would consumed all the residue. In a field test, where a patch of medusahead residue was yp p pb t th i th t l l t d ld i th l t ti d th h dil d th d h d h lf lf hbe greater than in the control plots and would increase as the molasses concentration sprayed, the sheep readily consumed the medusahead even when alfalfa hay was be greater than in the control plots and would increase as the molasses concentration i d

sp ayed, e s eep ead y co su ed e edusa ead eve w e a a a ay wasincreased offered in an adjacent corralincreased. offered in an adjacent corral.

T h th h t i i ld k h th d h d i thTo assess whether such training would work when the medusahead was in the gphenological stage most susceptible to grazing 20 sheep were trained in April 2008phenological stage most susceptible to grazing, 20 sheep were trained in April 2008

i th t f ll t ht th t k t l Th t i i f il dusing a process that successfully taught them to seek out molasses. The training failedusing a process that successfully taught them to seek out molasses. The training failed Several sheep readily consumed a patch of medusahead This patch of medusahead sprayed April 30 2008 with a

to influence sheep foragingMedusahead phenological stages from left to right andSeveral sheep readily consumed a patch of medusahead

th t h d ith l ft th t i i iThis patch of medusahead, sprayed April 30, 2008, with a

l ti f 50% l d 50% t i tl i thto influence sheep foraging.Medusahead phenological stages, from left to right and thatch sprayed with molasses after the training process in solution of 50% molasses and 50% water, is mostly in the p g gtop to bottom: early vegetative, late vegetative, seedhead August 2007. boot stage with a few plants already producing seed.

It i l t d th t lth h th h t i d t lik l th tt t ttop to bottom: early vegetative, late vegetative, seedhead

f ll d dh d fl i l dAugust 2007. boot stage with a few plants already producing seed.

It is speculated that although the sheep were trained to like molasses, the attractant emergence, fully emerged seedhead, flowering, early seed s specu ed oug e s eep we e ed o e o sses, e cformation seed elongation seed in dough stage seed

was not strong enough to entice them away from more desirable food sourcesformation, seed elongation, seed in dough stage, seed

i Th i i i i d i d was not strong enough to entice them away from more desirable food sources.maturity. The strategic time to graze is in stages depicted y g g g pin the second and third pictures

S C lif i h h f ll tt t d li t k t d h d ithin the second and third pictures.

Some California ranchers have successfully attracted livestock to medusahead with ymolasses but only during summer and fall when rangeland forage in the state ismolasses, but only during summer and fall, when rangeland forage in the state is t i ll d d l i lit H li t k i t d h d itypically dry and low in quality. However, livestock impacts on medusahead intypically dry and low in quality. However, livestock impacts on medusahead in summer and fall will not provide effective control The sheep were not interested in the molasses-sprayedsummer and fall will not provide effective control. The sheep were not interested in the molasses sprayed

d h d i t d i t d i bl fmedusahead, instead moving to more desirable forages.