Biological Control of Weeds in Great Plains Rangelands

Chemical control ofweeds has increased agricultural productivity, but complete reliance on chemicals has serious drawbacks. These include high cost per acre, decreasing effectiveness, negative effects on plant community diversity, and increased opportunities for environmental contamination. One alternative is biocontrol, the use ofbiologicalfactors that naturally limit weed populations. Long-term research goals focus on improving our knowledge of the processes that control and limit potential plant pests naturally and to use that knowledge to develop predictable, sustainable, low-cost, biologicallybased weed management strategies. This paper reviews the ecological underpinnings ofclassical biological control ofweeds, including basic research on the interaction ofnatural enemies with native thistles in Nebraska. Thefundamentalsfor developing a biological weed controlprogram are summarized and research in the central and northern Great Plains on applying biological controls to limit introduced noxious rangeland weeds is reviewed. This is followed by a discussion of one of the problems associated with biological control, the potential secondary effects of biocontrol agents on non-target plant species. The evidence suggests that biological control is an ecologicallysound, sustainable and economical option for limiting introduced rangeland weeds. Biological control represents an attractive technique for limiting the negative impacts ofhigh weed densities, while not eradicating the introduced weed. Expanding interest in sustainable agricultural systems and more environmentally-friendlypest control and the prohibitive costs ofchemical control suggest that biological weed control is likely to become an increasingly important part ofrangeland management.