The Vile Medusahead
Remember medusa from Greek mythology well she’s reared her ugly heads again and she this time she won’t be pacified until she’s destroyed the West. I’m Susan Allen when OpenRange returns, OregonStatueUniversity research team go on the offensive to attack this monster. Just like her namesake the Medusahead plant leaves terrible carnage in her wake and new research from both OSU and the Agricultural Research Service helps us better understand this invasive weed’s ability to increase at an alarming twelve percent per year rate throughout seventeen western states. It grows faster and with more total bio mass than even cheat grass, (and we thought that was bad) Unlike cheat grass that can still be grazed by wildlife or livestock, Medusahead is virtually inedible turning acres and acres of rangeland into wasteland. According to OSU’s Forestry research team everything about the plant is evil. Medusaheads sharp points damage animals eyes and cut their mouths while it’s deep roots deplete the water supply for other competing plants. It is virtually inedible, and provides excellent fodder for fires. What do we do to stop it? First we must learn more about it, like the Medusa of old we’ve got to completely understand it’s patterns and preferences. OSU researchers believe that means being proactive and not allowing the weed to become established, because once it is it’s nearly impossible to kill. The university team is hoping to discover other plant species that could displace or at the least provide competition for Medusahead, once again our land grant universities prove their worth!