• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

To Honor and Protect the Ranching Way of Life

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Why Join
    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • FAQs
    • Newsroom
    • Sponsorships
    • Employment
  • What We Do
    • Theft and Law
    • Issues and Policy
    • Education
    • Students and Young Professionals
    • The Cattleman Magazine
    • Disaster Relief Fund
    • Cattle Raisers Insurance
    • Cattle Raisers Trading Co
  • Events
    • Cattle Raisers Convention
    • Summer Meeting
    • Policy Conference
    • Ranch Gatherings
    • Ranching 101
  • Join
  • Member Center
  • TSCRA Store
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Publications available on new grass invaders from Mexico

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has new publications on two opportunistic and invasive grasses from Mexico now spreading into some Edwards Plateau and Concho Valley pastures, said Dr. Morgan Russell, lead author of both publications.
Russell, AgriLife Extension range specialist at San Angelo, said the culprits are Mexican needlegrass, which is infiltrating mostly from oil and gas operations, and Mexican feathergrass, a popular ornamental, which is escaping landscapes and cropping up on rangeland.
The publications are Mexican Needlegrass by Russell and Dr. Roger Q. “Jake” Landers, AgriLife Extension range specialist emeritus, Menard, and Mexican Feathergrass by Russell and Dr. Barron Rector, AgriLife Extension range specialist, College Station.

“Mexican needlegrass is an introduced species from Mexico, though we don’t know how it first got here,” Russell said. “Range professionals are getting more questions about it as ranchers notice the grass in their pastures, mostly along disturbed sites such as oil and gas locations, pipelines and along caliche roads.”
Russell said identification is straight-forward as the grass is very noticeable when spotted in pastures.
“It can look a lot like Texas wintergrass, which is a very common species to most ranchers here,” she said. “But it is much rougher and coarser with very saw-toothed leaves that scratch when you wrap your hands around it. You can really feel those edges and know what you’re dealing with. That texture is why livestock mostly shun it.”
Russell said Landers first noticed the grass more than 30 years ago in Menard County and wrote a paper on it in the 1980s.
“But then the flurry of interest waned until today when we are seeing a surge in Mexican needlegrass population and density, so we are focusing more on it now and are using some of that earlier work that Dr. Landers provided Texas A&M AgriLife.”
The other pest, Mexican feathergrass, is a common plant material in the region’s landscape trade, Russell said.
“It’s kind of ironic that Mexican feathergrass is such a threat to native pastures,” she said. “It’s a great ornamental grass here and you see it all over. It’s very fine textured with a pretty seed head and it doesn’t become overgrown like some other grasses do in the landscape. Aside from its beauty, its popular because it’s so well adapted to dry arid environments and very shallow soil. It can practically be planted in a flower bed and walked away from and it will maintain itself.”
Russell said problems occur when it escapes those flowerbeds into native pastures.
“In some areas where it has escaped, we are noticing prolific seed production and establishment in nearby ornamental landscapes and also in pastures surrounding those ornamental landscapes,” she said. “Consequently, we’re watching rangeland being invaded by this grass in some areas.”
Russell said Mexican feathergrass has been declared a noxious species in California and a couple of other Western states, but not in Texas, though the potential and opportunity exists for it to become a problem.
“The more word we get out to groups and individuals buying this grass for ornamental purposes, the better educated and informed they and the general public will be concerning this grass,” she said.
Mexican feathergrass is palatable, she said, but only during the prime growing season.
“Once it produces its seed head, it rapidly deteriorates in palatability and nutritional value, so most grazing livestock given the choice will venture away from it to graze more desirable forage. Doing so further gives this invader a competitive edge as the better plants are eaten, thus lessening the competition for water and nutrients.
“We’ve had some cold weather and these grasses will be going dormant if they are not already,” she said. “They are perennial though and will green up again next spring, so producers should make a point to keep an eye out for them next year.”
For information on these and other rangeland issues, contact Russell at 325-653-4576 or [email protected].
Source: agrilife.org

Written by:
kristin
Published on:
January 4, 2018

Categories: Natural Resources, Plants, The Cattleman NowTags: environment

Recent Posts

TSCRA supports STOP Screwworms Act to protect U.S. cattle herd

May 14, 2025

In response to the introduction of the STOP Screwworms Act by Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Tony …

Continue Reading about TSCRA supports STOP Screwworms Act to protect U.S. cattle herd

Crime watch: Cattle missing in Grayson County

May 13, 2025

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Randolph McGee, District 11 in …

Continue Reading about Crime watch: Cattle missing in Grayson County

Crime watch: Cattle missing in McCurtain County, Okla.

May 12, 2025

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Bo Fox, District 12 in …

Continue Reading about Crime watch: Cattle missing in McCurtain County, Okla.

Footer

Who We Are

Why Join
Leadership
Staff
Partners
FAQs
Newsroom
Sponsorships
Employment

What We Do

Theft and Law
Issues and Policy
Education
Students and Young Professionals
The Cattleman Magazine
Cattle Raisers Insurance
Cattle Raisers Trading Co.
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

Information

Cattle Raisers Blog
News Releases
Bereavements
Events
Sponsorships & Advertisement
Tip Hotline
Get Involved
Links

Membership

Membership Center
Membership Center Instructions
Join
Renew
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

PO BOX 101988
FORT WORTH, TX 76185

1-800-242-7820

© 2023 Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; All Rights Reserved.

COPYRIGHT | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF USE