Sustainable invasive weed management must address treatment effects on desired vegetation. Our objective was to determine the influence of clopyralid plus 2,4-D, glyphosate, and fosamine, at various application rates and timing, on the density and biomass of Russian knapweed and desired plant groups growing in association with this invasive weed. In a randomized complete block design with four replications, three herbicides by three herbicide rates by three herbicide application timings and a nontreated control were factorially applied to two sites located along the Missouri River riparian corridor in Montana. Clopyralid plus 2,4-D, glyphosate, and fosamine were applied during the spring rosette stage of Russian knapweed (June), the bud to bloom stage of Russian knapweed (July), or the flowering stage of Russian knapweed (August). Herbicide rates were considered low, medium, and high based on label rates of clopyralid plus 2,4-D, glyphosate, or fosamine. Density and biomass of all species were sampled 3 yr after treatment. Russian knapweed biomass decreased from 125 to about 25 g/m2 using clopyralid plus 2,4-D, irrespective of rate or timing of application. Russian knapweed density was reduced by about half by this mixture of herbicides. Nonnative grass density and biomass were maintained, whereas native grasses increased using clopyralid plus 2,4-D at medium or high rates. Neither glyphosate nor fosamine provided substantial Russian knapweed control or increases in grasses. Too few forbs were present to analyze their response to the treatments. We believe that herbicides must be combined with revegetation in areas lacking a diverse mixture of desired species capable of capturing resources made available by controlling Russian knapweed.
Nomenclature: Clopyralid; 2,4-D; fosamine; glyphosate; Russian knapweed, Acroptilon repens (L) DC. #3 CENRE.
Additional index words: Native plants, restoration.
Abbreviation: SE, standard error.
