The Wildcat Hills have had several wildfires in the past few years, and while dry conditions have contributed to the wildfires. An annual invasive brome grass, commonly known as Cheatgrass (Bromus inermis), has played a significant role. Cheatgrass grows quickly in the spring, competes with native grasses for resources, and affects the native ecosystems on many acres in the Nebraska Panhandle.
Dr. Mitch Stephenson, Nebraska Extension Range Management Specialist, has been working to better understand cheatgrass management on rangelands in the Panhandle since 2015. “Cheatgrass often creates dense patches of highly flammable fine fuels, especially later in the summer,” he said.
Stephenson, in a study with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, found that targeted cattle grazing in the spring could be used to reduce cheatgrass seed production. In this study, cheatgrass seed biomass was reduced by 30-77 percent, depending on the year and grazing location. Cattle in this study consumed cheatgrass for an average of 38 days in the early spring before plant maturity reduced palatability.While grazing is a viable management practice, the short grazing window, given cheatgrass’s rapid growth, poses a challenge for targeted cattle grazing. Additionally, cattle also consumed cool-season and native perennial grasses in springtime grazing.
