This presentation aired as part of the Great Basin LCC webinar series on August 28, 2017. Speakers include Matt Germino, U.S. Geological Survey and Great Basin LCC; David Pyke, U.S. Geological Survey; Richard Lee, Bureau of Land Management; Mike Gregg, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Jane Mangold, Montana State University; and Brynne Lazarus, U.S. Geological Survey.
Download the presentation slides: http://bit.ly/2wHxN9C
Description: Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae) invasions pose a serious threat to Great Basin ecosystems. Managers and scientists are hopeful that strains of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens that have been selected for their weed-suppressive properties in laboratory, greenhouse and wheat field trials will also be able to selectively inhibit root growth of annual weeds in more complex rangeland ecosystems. These weed-suppressive bacteria (WSB) are now commercially available in many states and have been applied on tens of thousands of acres across the Great Basin, yet results are variable and largely unpublished, indicating that much remains to be understood about when, where and why WSB are or are not effective. In this one hour “lightning session” webinar, six speakers provide an overview of the promise and uncertainty surrounding WSB use in Great Basin rangelands and the efforts currently underway to better characterize WSB effectiveness.
