EVALUATION OF AVAILABLE HERBICIDES AND HERBICIDE MIXTURES FOR CONTROL OF BRUSH AND MILKWEED ALONG ROADSIDES

A mixture of Tordon (picloram) herbicide plus 2, 4-D amine at recommended rates applied in the fall of 1978 in the fall-spring spraying rotation in an experimental contract gave excellent full season control of common milkweed and brush. Other materials were as effective as 2, 4-D amine on 2, 4-D susceptible species but offered little improvement for control of the milkweed. A 3-Way Herbicide Mixture for control of brush on unmowed portions of the Interstate System was evaluated on the basis of use by contractors as "spot" applications. In some areas, kill of brush was good. However, there appeared to have been many "skips" especially with small, scattered brush. In other areas, there was no evidence of kill or even injury suggesting that perhaps these areas were not sprayed. Based on brush/mile estimates, the treatment was found to have been about 30% effective. Needless to say the spot application of herbicide to control brush in the 1978 schedule was not cost effective and probably should not be repeated in future years. A problem of increasing severity is that of brush (and trees) growing in the fences bordering the Interstate highways. We found an average of 52.5 brush or woody species per mile, overall, for the northern 2/3 of the State. This averages to nearly 1 every 100 feet. Eventually, this source of vegetation is likely to become a problem in the maintenance of Interstate fences. (FHWA)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • From the HPR Part II Study titled "Chemical Mowing: A New Maintenance Concept for Indiana Roadsides".
• Corporate Authors:

  Purdue University/Indiana Department of Transportation JHRP

  Purdue University, School of Civil Engineering
  West Lafayette, IN  United States  47907-1284

  Indiana State Highway Commission

  Indianapolis, IN  United States  46204
• Authors:
  • Morre, D J
• Publication Date: 1980-3-25

Media Info

• Pagination: 24 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brush control; Cost effectiveness; Evaluation; Herbicides; Highway maintenance; Roadside; Sprayers; Trees; Weed control
• Uncontrolled Terms: Brush; Spraying
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00331192
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/IN-80/1 Intrm Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: 1 (17) Part II
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 15 1981 12:00AM