Using weed-suppressive bacteria to control invasive annuals

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Cheatgrass and medusahead invasions pose a serious threat to Great Basin ecosystems. Managers and scientists are hopeful that strains of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens will be able to selectively inhibit root growth of annual weeds in more complex rangeland ecosystems. These weed-suppressive bacteria (WSB) are now commercially available in many states and have been applied on tens of thousands of acres across the Great Basin, yet results are variable and largely unpublished, indicating that much remains to be understood about when, where and why WSB are or are not effective. This webinar features six speakers: Matt Germino, USGS and Great Basin LCC; David Pyke, USGS; Richard Lee, BLM; Mike Gregg, USFWS; Jane Mangold, Montana State University, and Brynne Lazarus, USGS.