This video was produced from a scientific presentation during the Wildlife Professionals meeting held during the Wild Sheep Foundation’s 2020 Sheep Show® convention in Reno, Nevada. In this video, Stuart Jennings introduces a new and exciting enhanced soil fertility technology that can be used to manage or minimize “cheatgrass” and other annual grass infestations. In addition to mitigating cheatgrass, this method restores key soil nutrients that enhance growth of perennial grass species, improves habitat for wild sheep and other wildlife species and is important to agriculture.
Why is this important? Cheatgrass is widespread throughout western North America and is increasing, negatively impacting millions of acres of wildlife habitat and native rangeland.
Like most vegetation treatments, synthetic herbicides may be useful in controlling invasive species, but often result in impacts to non-target native plant species and typically require annual application. Stuart’s non-herbicidal approach enhances native perennials using unique formulations of naturally-occurring mineral fertilizers, allowing native plants to compete favorably with invasives using one-time treatments. These treatments do not harm the native plant seed bank in the soil, allowing for accelerated natural restoration of native plant communities following treatment.