m
ANNAPOLIS, Md - Thistles
are thriving like never before in
Maryland And the growing
menace of these prickly crop
chokers is causing- concern in
agricultural circles that has
reached all the way to the state
legislature in Annapolis
Major offenders are the Canada
thistle and the musk or nodding
thistle, notes Ronald I, Ritter,
Extension weed control specialist
and assistant professor of
agronomy at the University of
Maryland
A generation ago, these two
weeds were virtually unknown in
Maryland, Ritter commented The
musk thistle was imported by
accident from Europe, and the
Canada thistle has been
progressively moving southward
since the turn of the century from
our neighbor to the north
New cropping practices by
tauneis, cUdiiges in loadside
.mowing procedures by highway
’maintenance crews and the
chronic problem of tracts of idle
BIG FARM POWER AND EQUIPMENT
/ . _ , ___ - . ' I
Md. lawmakers fight thistles
land awaiting development, have
all contributed to the rapid
population buildup of these two
thistles throughout the state during
recent years
Other contributors to the thistle
problem are utility nghts-of-way
and abandoned railroad trackage
year’s semi-drought weather
conditions were also favorable for
thistle growth
In addition, Maryland has had no
natural insect predators which
control thistle populations by at
tacking the seed-bearing flower
heads But such predators are now
starting to be introduced
Like most members of their
plant family, the Canada and musk
thistle usually bear purplish
flowers throughout the summer -
although white flowers are
sometimes seen, particularly on
the Canada thistle
Both of these thistles are prolific
seed producers, and they spread
by having each seed attached to a
plume which allows the seed to be
carried long distances by the wind
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thistle Because the head bends
over when mature, the plant is
often i eterred to as the nodding
thistle It is a biennial plant, which
infers a two-year life'span and
reproduction only from seeds This
means that it can be fairly well
eradicated in one growing season
of chemical and cultural multi
treatment
The Canada thistle, on the other
hand, is a perennial weed, and its
roots can survive for many years
Since it spreads both by seed and
underground runners, it is more
difficult to control - unsually
requiring at least two full growing
seasons of chemical and cultural
treatments
Ritter reported that the
Maryland Extension Service is
currently involved in a statewide
educational campaign regarding
the Canada and musk thistle
problem
During March, the Extension
Service cooperated with the state
WITH LESS
Department of Agriculture and the
state Department of Tran
sportation to conduct a series of
meetings for highway main
tenance workers and county Ex
tension agricultural agents
The meetings covered origin and
nature of the thistle problem,
identification, and control
measures Program leaders also
reported on the proposed thistle
control law which is expected to be
passed by the current session of
the Maryland General Assembly
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 4,1981-Al5
If passed, the law (House Bill
1768) would go into effect on Jan. 1,
1983, making it illegal for property
owners to allow thistles to go to
seed
Ritter explained that the two
year moratorium was written into
the bill to allow time for an
educational campaign and to test
the effectiveness of natural insect
predators' The time lapse would
also allow for additional research
on cultural and chemical control
methods by University of
Maryland agronomists.