Management Information
Preventative measures: A Risk Assessment of
Urochloa maxima (Panicum maximum) for Hawai‘i and other Pacific islands was prepared by Dr. Curtis Daehler (UH Botany) with funding from the Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and US Forest Service. The alien plant screening system is derived from Pheloung et al. (1999) with minor modifications for use in Pacific islands (Daehler et al. 2004. The result is a score of 17 and a recommendation of: "Likely to cause significant ecological or economic harm in Hawai‘i and on other Pacific Islands as determined by a high WRA score, which is based on published sources describing species biology and behaviour in Hawai‘i and/or other parts of the world."Physical: Hand pulling / grubbing also works, but spraying seems easier (Starr, F and Starr, K., pers. comm., 2003). Chemical: "Susceptible to glyphosate and readily controlled by drizzle applications. Young plants are susceptible to selective grass-killers" (Motooka et al., 2002, cited in PIER, 2002). Biological: Plants die rapidly under close continuous grazing (James A. Duke. 1983).   
Location Specific Management InformationAustralia
Doesn't respond well to being mowed. Cayman Brac
Removal of guinea grass from selected soil basins in nature reserves is under consideration by the National Trust. Restoration of native shrubland suitable for iguanas is a priority (Burton, 2003 in Varnham, 2006). Grand Cayman
Removal of guinea grass from selected soil basins in nature reserves is under consideration by the National Trust. Restoration of native shrubland suitable for iguanas is a priority (Burton, 2003 in Varnham, 2006). Hawaii
Good results, albeit on a small scale, have been reported of controlling Urochloa maxima with a foliar spray of 1% glyphosate (roundup). On Maui the ground layer in a rare plant exclosure could be changed from non-native Urochloa maxima to native Panicum konaense & P. xerophilum (Starr, F and Starr, K., pers. comm., 2003). Hawaii
Guinea grass has not been evaluated for biological control. Little Cayman
Removal of guinea grass from selected soil basins in nature reserves is under consideration by the National Trust. Restoration of native shrubland suitable for iguanas is a priority (Burton, 2003 in Varnham, 2006).
Management Resources/Links
2. Daehler, C.C; Denslow, J.S; Ansari, S and Huang-Chi, K., 2004. A Risk-Assessment System for Screening Out Invasive Pest Plants from Hawaii and Other Pacific Islands. Conservation Biology Volume 18 Issue 2 Page 360.
Summary: A study on the use of a screening system to assess proposed plant introductions to Hawaii or other Pacific Islands and to identify high-risk species used in horticulture and forestry which would greatly reduce future pest-plant problems and allow entry of most nonpests. 3. Gee II, David E., pers. comm. 2006. Wildlife Biologist, Guam Division of Aquatic & Wildlife Resources and Guam team member of the Pacific Invasives Learning Network (PILN). 4. Kueffer, C. and Mauremootoo, J., 2004. Case Studies on the Status of Invasive Woody Plant Species in the Western Indian Ocean. 3. Mauritius (Islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues). Forest Health & Biosecurity Working Papers FBS/4-3E. Forestry Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. Results Page: 1
|
