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National Jointed Goatgrass Research Program

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 In 1994, an integrated, multidisciplinary effort involving 11 states and over 35 state and federal scientists was initiated by the National Jointed Goatgrass Research Program with a CSREES special grant.  Initially, the projects focused on individual management practices, certain aspects of jointed goatgrass biology and ecology, and components of technology transfer.  The goal of the program is to ensure that producers have the best and most recent information possible to successfully manage jointed goatgrass in winter wheat.

The National Jointed Goatgrass Research program has taught thousands of wheat producers how to properly identify jointed goatgrass, prevent its spread, and manage it in a winter wheat-based cropping system.  The program continues to develop new management strategies and implement them through a commitment to technology transfer.  Methods developed to control jointed goatgrass will also control other costly weeds in winter wheat, such as downy brome, feral rye and other winter annual grasses.  Overall, the economic impact of jointed goatgrass will be reduced and U.S. wheat production will remain profitable and competitive in the world market.

Over 30 professional scientists in 11 Western states are currently engaged in an integrated, multidisciplinary effort to reduced the impact of jointed goatgrass on winter wheat production.  Below are some of the topics they have or currently are researching:

  • Integrated management
  • Technology transfer
  • Planting practices
  • Tillage systems
  • Competitive wheat cultivars
  • Crop rotations
  • Genetic diversity
  • Gene flow
  • Best Management Practices (BMP) sites
  • Herbicide resistance
  • Population dynamics
  • Controlling JGG seed production
  • Seed longevity and viability

Several experiments are being conducted at multiple locations cooperatively among scientists, using similar experimental designs and treatments to broaden the scope of implications from individual research results.