Asian weed (cogon) outpacing kudzu as scourge of the South

Sac Bee ^ | 8/20/03 | Bill Kaczor - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WALNUT HILL, Fla. (AP) - Cogon grass, a fast-growing Asian weed that initially hitchhiked to America as a packing material, is becoming a worse plant scourge than the infamous kudzu vine in many parts of the South.

It kills pine seedlings, is a hot-burning fire hazard, squeezes out native plants and ruins habitats for threatened species such as the gopher tortoise and indigo snake. Cogon is even more aggressive and harder to get rid of than the ubiquitous kudzu.

[StatesEnemy]

Can it be harvested and used for animal feed?

[CurlyDave]

Can it be harvested and used for animal feed?

"...most animals shun the saw-tooth leaves embedded with silica crystals."

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks.. 4 feet tall. wow.

It looks like it could be "harvested" by conventional means in open areas. Or killed by multiple herbicide applications.

Send in the goats instead ;-)

[Steely Glint]

Bad idea. Mature cogon grass will shred the mouths of even a goat.

[tsomer]

"Cogon's incendiary nature can cause wildfires - the weed was blamed for two major blazes near Ocala in 1996 and 2000 - and complicate prescribed burns."

Boil some water and make some juice (ie, electricity)?

"...most animals shun the saw-tooth leaves embedded with silica crystals."

With fire-retardant, this could replace oriented strand board panels.

I hope somebody's looking into exploiting this stuff, it sounds interesting.

[MD_Willington_1976]

Can it be processed in a digester for fuel alchohol? Can it be processed in a TMP (Thermo-Mechanical-Pulper) for paper pulp? I wonder what else it could be used for?. Maybe someone could look into it, it could be a source of several useful products, alchohol, pulp, silica. Who knows?

[GingisK]

Mother Nature will vote strongly against globalization. By then, however, it will be too late for our way of life.

[tsomer]

Maybe someone could look into it, it could be a source of several useful products, alchohol, pulp, silica. Who knows?

I don't know about wood pulp, the silica might be a problem for the machinery. But it seems a harvester could be modified to bundle the stuff to be burned or compressed into sheets.

One thing's for damned sure; no need to worry about cultivation.

[MD_Willington_1976]

A TMP could probly handle it, since it just grinds up what goes in, then the bits you dont want will settle out..

TMP briefly explained
http://tristate.apogee.net/et/eziptmp.asp

Pulp mill back in my home town
http://www.norskecanada.com/aboutus/aboutus_operations_elkfalls.xml

[TheBattman]

A point worth noting from a page on this troublesome grass....

BACKGROUND: Cogon grass was introduced to the United States both accidentally and intentionally.  Cogon grass was first introduced to the U.S. at Mobile, Alabama, via shipping crates that contained cogon grass as a packing material. It was also brought in and distributed by the U.S.D.A. for use as a forage grass and for soil erosion control. Cogon grass is also sold by the nursery trade as an ornamental grass, valued for its attractive foliage and hardiness.

That's right - our federal government at work again....

[blam]

This stuff is the worst ever. I'm 60 years old and we've had it here in Mobile all my life, we've always called it Jap grass. Just under the ground, the roots are so thick it's almost impossible to dig in.

[CFW]

Send in the goats instead ;-)

[gcruse]

Cogon's incendiary nature can cause wildfires - the weed was blamed for two major blazes near Ocala in 1996 and 2000 - and complicate prescribed burns.

Got any Cogon-B-Gone to spare?  I thought kudzu was bad, but this stuff....

[Cathryn Crawford]

Got any Cogon-B-Gone to spare? I thought kudzu was bad, but this stuff....

I can probably find some somewhere to spare for you. LOL

[Scenic Sounds]

That stuff looks vicious, Gsry. ;-)

[RightWhale]

Maybe it could be fermented to produce fuel for our new hydrogen cars.

[anymouse]

Just start a rumor that smoking Asian weed (cogon) gets you high. the Liberals and Libertarians will harvest it for you.

On second thought they're probably the ones that planted it, because they heard a rumor that smoking it gets you high. :)