Studies to Control the Guinea Grass at a Military Base in Hawaii.

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) has become dominant in many areas on the island of Oahu because it has a rapid growth rate, is a prolific seed producer, and spreads vegetatively by rhizomes.  It has become especially troublesome on military bases because of its capacity to carry a fire, and its potential to invade threatened and endangered species habitats due to its ability to form dense stands or swards.  The objective is to investigate the use of salt in greenhouse and field studies to control the growth of guinea grass and determine if seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) is a suitable species to seed into the dead grasses to later compete and slow future growth of this species.  The results of the greenhouse studies showed that 1 molar concentrations of NaCL retarded the growth of the guinea grass and not the germination of seashore paspalum.