Some landowners have concerns regarding the use of diesel in brush control work on their property because of the potential of petroleum residues on their soil. Two separate sites were selected and identified for this trial. Seedling mesquite of approximately the same size and maturity had invaded both sites. The same treatment was applied on both sites. This mixture was applied to the point of saturation and runoff.
Control is defined as dead plants with no sign of life twelve months following the application.
Backpack sprayers were used in the individual plant treatments applied on July 16, 1998. Acceptable control was achieved on both sites. We observed no reasonable cause for the reduced rate of control on site 2. Labor is the main cost in any individual plant treatment brush control effort. Using water in place of diesel as a carrier releases many environmental concerns of new landowners as well as reduces the per plant cost.