Flowering rush can cause cattle pain if they eat the weed
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A weed that grows in rivers and streams could be problematic for farmers with irrigation systems and livestock producers who let their cattle drink from local watering holes.
The Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan discovered several flowering rush plants along the South Saskatchewan River near the Alberta border last year, a media release states.
Once the weed is in a watershed, rhizomes and pieces of its roots can break off and form new plants, making for dense populations.
The weed is prohibited under the Weed Act of Saskatchewan. It can reduce water availability for drinking water intakes and can cause uneven irrigation distribution.
Flowering rush can also be dangerous to cattle because it has sharp leaves that can cut their mouths.
Given that the invasive weed grows in shallow water and along shorelines, managing it can be a challenge.
“The weed is moving downstream, which is very concerning because it’s a very difficult species to eradicate,” Eric Lamb, an associate professor in the University of Saskatchewan’s plant sciences department, told Farms.com today. “Because it’s in wetlands, there’s many herbicides farmers can’t use to control it so, in many cases, to get rid of it, it’s down to pulling it out by hand.”
Provincial organizations are doing their part to help control flowering rush.
SaskEnergy is funding a survey of the South Saskatchewan River from the Alberta border to Highway 21 near Leader, Sask., to map the severity of the weed’s spread in the province.
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