Additionally, include the productive value of land where infestations are located to help determine how much money to spend on weed management during any year and over time. Also, determine habitat, e.g. rangeland, irrigated pasture, around ponds or along streams and rivers, and associated desirable plant species, as these will help you choose appropriate control tools. A key aspect to weed management is to integrate control methods into a management system. Cultural controls are methods that favor desirable plant growth, such as proper grazing management, irrigation, and seeding vigorously growing, competitive, desirable plant species. Mechanical control physically disrupts weed growth and includes such methods as tillage, mowing, mulching, burning, and flooding.
Chemical control is the use of herbicides.
Biological control is the use of an organism to disrupt weed growth. Classical biological control uses natural enemies of weeds, such as Insects or disease organisms. Biological control also may include use of sheep, cattle, goats, or other large herbivores to control weeds. A good weed-management plan integrates two or more control measures into a management system. These two procedures allow effective pasture use by other livestock, such as cattle, that normally do not graze leafy spurge.