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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (9): 129-141.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025386

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Efficacy of chemical control on Euphorbia fischeriana and its effect on other plant communities

Tao-yang YANG1,2(), Surilige2,3, Wurilige2,3, Na JIANG2, Dian-lin YANG2, Mei HONG4, Hai-fang ZHANG2(), Jian-ning ZHAO1,2()   

  1. 1.College of Resources and Environment,Northeast Agricultural University,Harbin 150006,China
    2.Agro-Environmental Protection Institute,Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,Tianjin 300191,China
    3.College of Life Sciences and Technology,Inner Mongolia Normal University,Hohhot 010022,China
    4.College of Agriculture,Inner Mongolia Minzu University,Tongliao 028043,China
  • Received:2025-09-23 Revised:2025-11-27 Online:2026-09-20 Published:2026-07-27
  • Contact: Hai-fang ZHANG,Jian-ning ZHAO

Abstract:

The proliferation of Euphorbia fischeriana is a common indicator of grassland degradation, posing a serious threat to ecosystem functions and the sustainable development of animal husbandry. To screen for herbicides that can efficiently and safely control E. fischeriana, this study used pure water as a control (CK) and seven herbicides were applied as treatments during the full bloom growth stage of E. fischeriana. Control efficacy was evaluated 30 days after application, and the regeneration ability of E. fischeriana was measured during regreening after winter in the following year. Plant community characteristics were investigated during the peak growth periods of the application year and the subsequent year. The effects of the herbicides on community structure, diversity, and productivity were analyzed to evaluate their efficacy for controlling E. fischeriana and safety for other plants. The results showed that: 1) Regarding short-term efficacy, both triclopyr and glyphosate achieved 100% control efficacy in terms of plant count and fresh weight. In contrast, the other five herbicides showed poor results, with both plant and fresh weight control efficacies lower than 65%. 2) In terms of sustained suppression, triclopyr treatment completely inhibited the germination and growth of E. fischeriana in the following year. However, in the glyphosate treatment area, the population density of E. fischeriana recovered to 1.76 plants·m-2, indicating strong regeneration from dormant buds. 3) Triclopyr treatment increased the importance values and biomass of Cyperaceae and Poaceae. In the application year, the Shannon-Wiener index and Pielou evenness index of the community increased significantly by 7.6% and 15.46%, respectively, compared with CK. By the following year, the combined biomass of Poaceae and Cyperaceae in the triclopyr treatment area accounted for 88.77%, promoting the stable succession of the community towards Poaceae-Cyperaceae dominance, while diversity indices showed no significant difference from the control. 4) Glyphosate treatment severely inhibited the growth of non-target plants, resulting in significant decreases in the biomass of forbs, Cyperaceae, and Poaceae by 86.05%, 63.58%, and 90.80%, respectively, compared to CK. Additionally, the species richness index declined by 54.44% and the Shannon-Wiener index declined by 20.58% (P<0.05). 5) Analysis using the TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making model indicated that triclopyr combines the advantages of high efficacy, sustained elimination of E. fischeriana, and safety for non-target plants. Triclopyr promoted plant community restoration while controlling E. fischeriana, making it the optimal solution among the tested herbicides for managing grasslands degraded by E. fischeriana.

Key words: Euphorbia fischeriana, chemical control, triclopyr, plant community structure, ecological restoration