• 2007 Annual Meeting Report

• Weed Identification Books
  "Weeds of the Great Plains"
  "Weeds of the West"

Mission Statement

Develop and implement a multi-state partnership to manage and control Sericea Lespedeza in the prairie region. The objectives of the work group are:
 

• To develop operating protocols for coordinating research, education and other activities among the states.
• To coordinate and develop funding for research and education programs within the states.

Problem Statement

Sericea Lespedeza is an invasive perennial legume that is spreading in the tallgrass prairie region. Though used as a forage crop in the southeastern United States, it is an aggressive invasive weed which threatens the entire ecosystem of native tallgrass prairie including wildlife habitat, livestock grazing, water quality, and economic stability.
A comprehensive multi-state integrated pest management effort is needed to complement costly conventional control methodologies. State, federal and private sector cooperative action is critical to the success of this effort.

Background

Research efforts have been conducted using non-government funding since the early 1980's. Kansas State University, Emporia State University, and Oklahoma State University have conducted research in chemical control, biological control, role of the seed bank, physiology and biology.
Recent state funding has expanded the Kansas research effort and allowed the development of a database to determine the role of current management in sericea lespedeza invasion.
 

Area of Adaption   Current States Involved

In July l999, a meeting was held at Fort Riley, Kansas, to discuss strategies for curbing the spread of sericea in the tallgrass prairie region.

 
The meeting was organized by Fort Riley's Conservation Division, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
A second meeting was held July 25-26, 2000, in Topeka with expanded representation from Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Nebraska. A formal organization was developed and a plan of work was initiated. When funding can be obtained, a Director for the group will be identified.










 

Organizations and Agencies