When in bloom, leafy spurge looks like an ordinary wild flower in the pastures and ditches of rural Manitoba.
Its yellow flowers offer no hint that it is capable of infesting pastures and snuffing out the potential for livestock grazing.
But don’t be deceived by the plant’s benign appearance, caution researchers who are seeking controls for leafy spurge on pastures.
“I really feel right now that it’s on the verge of becoming a huge problem,” said Jane Thornton, a Manitoba Agriculture forage specialist. “Essentially it can reduce the carrying capacity of a pasture to zero.”
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Researchers seem to agree there is no quick fix for leafy spurge. The thrust of their efforts now is on control methods.
They are considering chemical and biological measures, such as insects with an appetite for the weed.
Four-legged control
But they also are looking at an animal whose male members tend to get nicknamed Billy.
Thornton said researchers want to know whether goats can be effective in controlling leafy spurge in pastures, so Manitoba Agriculture has launched a three-year project. It will look at leafy spurge control in a pasture grazed by goats and by beef cattle.
The study also will try to pinpoint the economic benefits of using multi-species grazing.
The first year of funding for the research will come from Manitoba Agriculture’s Covering New Ground program, which promotes sustainable agriculture.
The Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council will provide funding for the final two years.
The project will be done under a full-scale pasture situation. Most studies done previously have examined leafy spurge control using goats or sheep in intensive pasture rotations on smaller research plots.
Those studies found that goats and sheep seek out leafy spurge, and their repeated grazing can bring the menace weed under control in three to five years.
While spurge can irritate the mouths and digestive tracts of cattle, studies showed goats and sheep do not suffer the same consequences and can thrive on the weed.
Thornton admits it may take some coaxing to convince cattle producers to include goats or sheep in their pasture herds.
But with the rapid spread of leafy spurge in Manitoba, the need to control the weed has become more pressing.
It is estimated that 340,000 acres are now infested with leafy spurge and the infestations are doubling every 10 years.
“If it gets into your pasture, it’s going to be a lifetime commitment to deal with,” Thornton said.
