Leafy Spurge Rangeland Control and Management

Funded by Greencover Canada Technical Assistance Program.

Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) is a threat to biodiversity in nature lands and agricultural lands, and costs Manitobans in excess of $20 million per year. Listed on the World Conservation Union’s list of 100 worst invasive species, it is estimated that 340,000 acres were infested in Manitoba in 1999. The goal of this project is to increase the adoption of beneficial management practices among producers, land managers, municipalities, and industry for the prevention and management of leafy spurge.

This one year project will increase the adoption of beneficial management practices among producers, land managers, municipalities, and industry. The objectives of the project are: to provide producers, land managers, municipalities, and industry with information on beneficial management practices of leafy spurge to increase rangeland conditions; to increase the awareness of leafy spurge among producers, land managers, municipalities, and industry; and to facilitate knowledge transfer from researchers and practitioners to producers, land managers, municipalities, and industry.

The project will create and distribute leafy spurge beneficial management practices knowledge among producers, land managers, municipalities, and industry. Materials will focus on rangeland control and management of leafy spurge. Radio advertisements broadcasting leafy spurge beneficial management practices on a local radio station will target producers, land managers, municipalities, and industry.

The project was coordinated by the Leafy Spurge Stakeholders Group. The Leafy Spurge Stakeholders Groupis a diverse base of public, private and non-profit agencies, has been actively involved in increasing awareness of the problem of leafy spurge and in promoting the benefits of integrated pest management. The Leafy Spurge Stakeholders Group activities include: the development and publication of a variety of types of information on integrated pest management; the organization of forums, public presentations and seminars to increase awareness; support of research activities to refine integrated pest management strategies; lobbying various levels of government for increased involvement in support efforts to control and contain leafy spurge; and acting as a general source of public information on leafy spurge.

Publications

• Factsheet
• Invasive Species Coming to America: New Strategies for Early Detection and Rapid Response. Westbrook, R.

Radio Advertisements

• Multi-Species Grazing Ad
• Herbicide Ad
• Mowing Ad
• Leafy Spurge Beetle Ad