N RANCHING


atural Resources


What Plant Is Important in December? Texas Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii)


P


RICKLY PEAR IS ONE OF THE PROBLEM PLANTS OF THE prairie. Prickly pear can be a tremendous limiting


factor in the pasture because it is covered with thorns and grazing animals cannot navigate to successfully graze forage plants. • It can survive the harshest climate conditions. • It is spread by animals and man — there are more than 200 species.


• It can rob the entire grazing value of a pasture if not controlled.


• It is a sign of past grazing abuse. • It is commonly controlled with herbicide and/or combination of herbicide and prescribed fi re. Prickly pear does have several redeeming quali- ties, such as offering safe haven to desirable plants


tscra.org


that are abused by overgrazing, thus providing a seed source for pasture recovery. • Prickly pear is commonly the only place bobwhite quail can build a nest to avoid predators in poor condition rangeland.


• Prickly pear is often used as a last-effort feed source for livestock by burning the spines to allow grazing.


• Prickly pear is also a source of food for humans by yielding the fruit for jelly and the pads for nopalitos.


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


December 2013 The Cattleman 49


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100