Beneficios Económicos Asociados Con El Control De Invasiones De Uña De Gato En El Pastizal Mediano Abierto De Cananea, Sonora, México

Large areas of Short Grasslands in Northern Sonora, Mexico show severe problems of catclaw mimosa invasion, which limits productivity potential and interfere with grassland utilization. This study was conducted in Cananea, Sonora to evaluate several doses of tebuthiuron herbicide to control brush species and measure the effects in forage production and associated economic benefits. We evaluate vegetation responses with tebuthiurón application in doses of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kg of a.i./ha, applied by triplicate in 20 by 30 m plots. A completely randomized block design was used and information was analyzed by ANOVA (P≤0.05). The herbicide controlled 31, 65.5 and 95.5% of shrubs with 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kg of a.i./ha with forage production increases of 147.6, 250.4 and 424.5%, respectively, as compared to untreated areas. Cumulative total ten year dry forage production was 2.45, 5.10, 7.70 and 12.18 ton/ha in plots treated with 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kg/ha, with a forage production cost of $ 0.46, 0.37 y 0.27 pesos per additional kilogram of dry produced forage, respectively. We conclude that deteriorated grasslands invaded with shrubs have low production potential. From the financial view point it is economically profitable to apply tebuthiuron herbicide at rates of 0.5 to 1.5 kg a.i./ha to reduce high infestations of catclaw mimosa invasion on grasslands.