Locoweed - Prevention

Prevention

Because O. sericea is both frequently encountered and relatively palatable to livestock, it is an important cause of economic losses in livestock production. Keeping livestock away from locoweed infested pasture in spring and fall when grass and other forbs not actively growing is recommended. Another suggested remedy is to provide palatable supplemental nutrients if animals are to be kept in infested pasture. These remedies take into account livestock preference for locoweed during seasons when grass is dry and not very nutritious. Conditioned food aversion has been used experimentally to discourage livestock from eating it. In horses, a small study has shown promising results using lithium chloride as the aversive agent.

How to Reduce Losses: Restrict access to locoweed during critical periods when the plant is more palatable than associated forages. Maintain conservative stocking rates to avoid forcing animals to consume locoweed when desirable forage becomes limited. Remove animals that begin eating locoweed to prevent intoxication and to keep them from influencing others to start eating locoweed. No treatments have been identified that are effective in reversing or minimizing locoweed poisoning.

Locoweed can be controlled by spraying actively growing or budding plants with clopyralid (20-30 gm ae/Ac), picloram (250 gm ai/Ac), and metsulfuron (30 gm ai/Ac). If plants are scattered, treatment of individual plants or patches may be practical. Follow precautions when handling herbicides.