Control Measures for Lantana

Control of Lantana is essential on priority basis to protect the grazing and pasture lands, livestock health, forest lands and other areas where this weed is invading the lands. For control of this weed, community approach is must and it should be cleared from all areas simultaneously to destroy the source of its spread. Following two methods are recommended for its control: Cutting the bushes and then uprooting the entire root system from the soil. The operation can be taken up during January-February when after rains the soil is wet to facilitate up-rooting. While taking out the root system, care should be taken to pull out all the roots and rootlets for effective control. This operation is to be repeated in 2nd year again as about 25-30 per cent infestation may occur again. During second year, frequent chopping up of regenerated shoots should be done to exhaust the food reserves of the root system. In third year, three may be only few shoots (not more than 10 per cent of the total population) of Lantana appearing here and there and can be uprooted easily. In this method of control, another important aspect is that just after uprooting operation is completed, the areas should be planted with grasses, fodder trees or other useful plants, depending on the situation. Among grasses Setaria, Elephant grass, Rhodes and Guinea grasses are very useful and be planted. Fodder trees, depending on the locality could be selected. The approximate cost would be Rs. 4000/- per hectare for all the operations viz. uprooting, planting of grasses/fodder trees and removal of regenerated shoots during 2nd and 3rd years. The second method of Lantana control recommended includes following steps : Cutting of bushes 2"-3" above the ground level. The cutting is preferred in the month of September for best results though it can be done earlier also. After about 1.5-2 months of cutting when cut parts of Lantana have regenerated and there is enough tender foliage, spray of Glyphosate (Glycel 41 SL) 1% solution should be done. The foliage should be fully wet while spraying. Spraying should be done in October-November for excellent results. This herbicide translocates upto roots and rootlets of the Lantana and kill them. Once the above two operations are done successfully, there is no chance of regeneration of Lantana as root and shoot systems are completely destroyed. After spray and killing of Lantana, the area should be put under grass/fodder trees to avoid further invasion of Lantana or nay other weed. In case some bushes appear again, spot application of glyphosate can be done on that plant only to kill it or it can be uprooted. The cut Lantana can be used as fuel wood. The tender leaves and twigs can be composted alongwith dung for making manure or these could be spread in fields to act as mulch and then incorporated in soils organic matter. The approximate cost excluding the value of fuel wood obtained may come to about Rs. 3000/- per hectare in case Lantana thickets are continuously spread.