RANCHING Business


What Plant Is Important in June? Mesquite (Prosopis glanulosa)


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ESQUITE IS ONE OF THE MOST INVASIVE AND NOXIOUS PLANTS of the Southwest.


• Can rob your grazing land of valuable forage re- sources and precious water for forage production


• Spread by animals and birds eating the beans and depositing them over the landscape


• Can have tremendous economic impact on an oper- ating unit because of brush management expenses — depending on the density and size of the prob- lem, control can vary from a few dollars to a several hundred dollars per acre


• Adapted to roughly 75 percent of Texas landscapes • Normally found growing on the deeper, more pro- ductive soils


• Competes with native vegetation for sunlight and water


tscra.org


Mesquite can be controlled but it requires proper


planning and timing of control. Now is the time to plan the method and location of control. Mesquite is not all bad. In certain amounts and in


certain locations it can be an asset to an operating unit by providing cover and food for wildlife. It’s becoming popular for making fi ne furniture,


fl ooring and crafts because it is a very durable and at- tractive hardwood. And let us not forget that famous mesquite-smoked Texas barbeque!


Editor’s note: Jeff Goodwin and Kent Ferguson, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), are pro- viding us with plant identifi cation photo stories to help ranchers identify those forb, forages and brush species growing in the pastures. Photos provided by the authors, Clint Rollins and Dr. Charles Hart.


June 2013 The Cattleman 57


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