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The bracken problem and its control in northern Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

E. B. Scragg
E. B. Scragg
Affiliation:
North of Scotland College of Agriculture, 581 King Street, Aberdeen
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Synopsis

Bracken is not a major weed problem on hill land in the north of Scotland, being restricted by environmental factors to the lower slopes of sheltered glens. There is no evidence of widespread stock poisoning by bracken in the area.

Ploughing and reclamation, forestry planting and spraying with the selective herbicide asulam have considerably reduced infestations of bracken on land worthy of improvement. At the present time there is little scope for further economic control of bracken.

Field experiments have defined full frond emergence from mid July to mid August as the most effective time for application of asulam. Reinfestation in about five years has been shown to follow incomplete control on small plots but an area sprayed by helicopter in 1972, where a very high degree of initial control was achieved, remained almost free of bracken in 1980.

Easier handling of stock and increased availability of summer grazing are reported following bracken control. An increase in herbage production has been measured experimentally in the second year after removal of the bracken by spraying.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 81 , Issue 1-2: Bracken in Scotland , 1982 , pp. 125 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1982

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