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| A "bluebird sky" and next to no wind made for pretty much ideal spraying conditions |
Earlier this week Standing Rush was visited by the single most important tool in our fight against Phragmites australis: a specialized helicopter equipped to mist low concentrations of herbicide onto dense stands of the noxious, invasive plant. In less than an hour we were able to effectively treat more than 90 acres of Phragmites monoculture. Because the reed grows so aggressively ("mono" = one; "culture" = plant), we can efficiently target the "bad" (invasive species) with minimal collateral damage to the "good" (desirable native plants).
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| Unless framed by a dark background (e.g., trees above), it is often very hard to even see the herbicide as it is being applied |
Lots of research has gone into what and when to spray for maximum efficacy. A generic cocktail of Rodeo® herbicide (a commonly utilized glyphosphate used in aquatic settings) and water is applied at a 5% solution. While this mix could be considered relatively "hot" (concentrated), the combination of the misting applicator and the circulation of the helicopter blades allows for effective treatment at surprisingly low total volumes.
Late summer/early fall spraying has proven to be the most effective time of year when targeting Phragmites. There are a couple key benefits to this timing:
(1) the target plants are actively pulling moisture from their above-ground stems and leaves in preparation for winter dormancy (thereby effectively transporting the herbicide throughout the plant and roots), and
(2) if sprayed late enough in the season (as we hope to have this year) any desirable, native vegetation -- on the fringes of spray zones or when less frequently interspersed within the Phrag -- can either be given time to drop viable seed (for future colonization) or be spared completely (due to earlier dormancy).
Most of the work on our end ties back to preparation for spraying day. While we weren't able to fully implement our drone reconnaissance this year, we did manage to establish detailed maps for the pilot to direct both he and his aircraft to the specific areas we wanted sprayed. We ended up reviewing last year's aerial imagery and then ground-truthed and refined our guestimates to establish several dozen discrete "polygons" -- or shapes formed by actual GPS coordinates. By downloading the shape files, the pilot can then let his instrumentation dictate when and where to spray. And all we have to do is sit back and watch!
More Phragmites can get sprayed in this ~30 second video (and often with better accuracy)
than we could possibly hope to accomplish in an entire day spraying from the ground
Special thanks to a collaboration between the USFWS, the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and Winous Point Marsh Conservancy for allowing this important work to get accomplished. Standing Rush was one of just a handful of properties selected for spraying through the program this year. Not only did we benefit from cost-sharing to defray management costs, the spraying also helped to set the stage for a healthier vegetative community next season and for years to come.