MDA’s Josh Wagner held a meeting in coordination with Jason Allen of MDT in December. They reviewed what they have found over the course of the past season. Rush skeletonweed is spreading rapidly and Jason reported that MDT is still finding several areas in western Montana with Ventenata. Here are some of the current acreages of EDRR plants in Montana according to Josh:
Rush skeletonweed: around 4,000 acres
Phragmites: less than .5 acres total between Hill, Blaine, and Gallatin counties
Scotch broom: around an acre, mostly in western Sanders County and a lesser amount in Lincoln County
Medusahead: one 1.5 acre site with a few plants in Lincoln County, a few hundred acres CSKT in one area, threatening from northeastern Wyoming
Palmer amaranth: half a dozen sites this summer with 1-2 plants each that were all removed
Waterhemp: one site 400-600 acres
Yellow starthistle: ZERO 😊
It is imperative that weed managers at all levels can identify these EDRR plants so they can help identify and manage early.
