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Released: Feb. 25, 2000 Sericea Lespedeza Symposium MANHATTAN, Kan. - Seventy years ago Kansas farmers and ranchers welcomed sericea lespedeza, a hardy perennial legume, for its erosion control properties as well as its use in hay, wildlife and seed production. But the plant has worn out its welcome after creeping into areas where it’s unwanted, a Kansas State University agronomist said. As a result, K-State Research and Extension and Emporia State University’s Division of Biology are holding a symposium in Wamego on how to manage and control sericea lespedeza, said Paul Ohlenbusch, range and pasture management specialist with K-State Research and Extension. The symposium will be held March 11, 2000 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Wamego Middle School (1701 Kaw Valley Road). The session is open to the public at no cost except for lunch. "It is a review and update of what we know about sericea lespedeza," Ohlenbusch said. "The biggest problem is its low palatability to grazing cattle. Unlike other noxious weeds like Johnsongrass and field bindweed, sericea increases because cattle will not graze it heavily. But we’ve found that goats will graze it heavily and may offer a method of reducing seed production, thus limiting the potential for spread." Sericea will officially be listed as a statewide noxious weed in Kansas in July. In addition to a panel of producers and others, the program includes: * Sericea lespedeza: an example of a future problem; * Kansas noxious weed law and sericea lespedeza; * Biology and physiology of sericea lespedeza; * Physiology responses of sericea lespedeza under various control methods; * Herbicide and related control; * Other management and control options; * Economic implications of sericea lespedeza invasion. The weed is such a threat in Kansas that numerous organizations and agencies have stepped forward to co-sponsor the seminars, he said. Contributing co-sponsors include the Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition; Dow Agrosciences; DuPont Ag Products; Kansas Chapter of the Nature Conservancy; the Kansas Forage and Grassland Council; and WIBW Radio. Co-sponsoring organizations include the Kansas Livestock Association; Kansas Farm Bureau; Kansas Rural Center; Audubon of Kansas; Kansas Section, Society for Range Management; Southeast Kansas Weed Management Area; and the County Weed Directors Association of Kansas. Co-sponsoring agencies include the Kansas Biological Survey; Kansas Department of Agriculture; the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks; Kansas Farm Service Agency; Natural Resources Conservation Service; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District. To register for the symposium or for more information, interested persons may call their local Extension agent, or Ohlenbusch at 785-532-5776. In Wamego, call the Pottawatomie County Extension office at 785-457-3319.
Sidebar: CEU Credit Available At MANHATTAN, Kan - Certified crop advisors who attend the Sericea Lespedeza Symposium to be sponsored by K-State Research and Extension and the Division of Biology, Emporia State University can earn continuing education unit credits (CEUs), said Paul Ohlenbusch, range and pasture management specialist with K-State Research and Extension. "The credits are in Integrated Pest Management," he said. The symposium will be held March 11 in Wamego, Kan. from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Wamego Middle School and is open to all Kansans interested in learning about management and control of the invasive weed. -30- K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan.
Mary Lou Peter |