Noxious In The Field Tasty By The Bale:Beef cows savor Russian knapweed in a bale

摘要

One whiff of Russian knapweed and there's no mistaking its nasty nature. Beef cows will avoid the noxious perennial in the field, but when it's cut and baled, they'll eat it as readily as they would alfalfa, says David Bohnert, Oregon State UniversityExtension beef specialist.They'll also maintain body condition, says USDA-ARS rangeland ecologist Roger Sheley, who, like Bohnert, is based in Burns. The researchers teamed up to study the baled weed's palatability as part of a continuing effort to help growers beat back its invasive spread."We are not promoting knapweed as a crop," emphasizes Bohnert "Using it as a feedstuff is part of an overall management tool to hopefully get rid of it."