VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Cardaria draba | Heart-Podded Hoary Cress 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Heart-podded hoary cress is generally considered unpalatable to
livestock.  However, sheep eat plants in early growth stages, and cattle
ingest seedheads [18,25].


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Although heart-podded hoary cress contains glucosinolates and is
potentially mildly toxic [18], nutritional levels are adequate to meet
the requirements of most classes of livestock, especially in the early
growth stages.  Foliage becomes coarse and bitter as it matures [18,25].
Mean nutrient composition of whole heart-podded hoary cress plants
collected at five dates from eight sites in eastern Oregon, 1988 is as
follows [18]:
                                        
                                    Phenology
                                             
                   rosette  bolting  early bloom  full bloom  full seed
% dry weight       (4-12)   (4-24)     (5-12)       (6-10)      (7-7)
                      
dry matter          22.6     22.6       27.6         33.4        95.9
crude protein       28.8     29.5       20.3         11.3         7.9
ndf *               13.1     16.0       23.9         34.9        52.8
adf **              12.0     13.4       21.6         28.8        41.8
cellulose            9.9     11.2       17.0         22.0        32.1
lignin               1.9      2.3        4.4          5.9         9.4
ether extract        1.6      1.5        1.9          2.2         2.4
in-vitro ***        77.3     74.7       69.8         64.9        49.1

* neutral detergent fiber
** acid detergent fiber
*** in-vitro organic matter digestibility
 


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Heart-podded hoary cress seed may be used as a substitute for pepper
[22].  


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Heart-podded hoary cress is classified as a noxious weed in 24 states
and 4 provinces [22,36].  Control is difficult because of the perennial
root system, abundant seed production, and diverse habitat of the plant.
In the absence of a competitor, a single plant spread over an area 12
feet (3.6 m) in diameter in 1 year [20].  Irrigation facilitates the
spread and establishment of heart-podded hoary cress by transporting
root material from neglected ditch banks [22].  

Control Methods - Mechanical:  Cultivation alone will control
heart-podded hoary cress when tillage begins at flowerbud time and is
repeated every 10 days throughout the growing season [19].  In Manitoba
and Alberta, it takes 3 years of intensive tillage to kill the root
system of heart-podded hoary cress [22].  Flooding can kill heart-podded
hoary cress.  Seeds buried in moist compacted manure for 1 month lose
their viability [22].  Early spring plowing and planting to a cereal
crop can control heart-podded hoary cress [25].

Biological:  Dense stands of established perennial grasses provide some
resistance to invasion and spread of heart-podded hoary cress if grazing
is not excessive [19].

Chemical:  Several herbicides can control heart-podded hoary cress.
They are most effective if applied during the early bud stage or late
fall rosette stage [16,19,32].  Spraying followed by spring mowing can
control up to 90 percent of heart-podded hoary cress [25].  Dense stands
of grass, mowed only when necessary and treated with a selective
herbicide, are best for controlling heart-podded hoary cress.  Refer to
publication [32] for information on effective herbicides and application
procedures.

Heart-podded hoary cress has some forage value, but until research
better evaluates its toxicity, McInnis [18] recommends the following
cautionary measures when allowing livestock to graze infested
rangelands:  provide supplemental iodine, graze mature and nonlactating
animals, and provide alternate grazing areas.

Related categories for Species: Cardaria draba | Heart-Podded Hoary Cress