Adoption of Brush Busters and other brush management technologies by Texas landowners

Abstract

Increased distribution and density of brush are widespread phenomena that have led to a decrease in forage production, deterioration of wildlife habitat, and reduction in water supply in many places. The adoption of effective brush management methods is critical to achieving rangeland management objectives. However, in the past, landowners have often been reluctant to adopt new rangeland management practices. In April 2000, a survey was developed and mailed to the 1,058 respondents of a 1997 survey in 49 Texas counties. Landowners were asked to identify factors that influence land management decisions, especially the adoption of brush management practices, including the Brush Busters program. Overall, landowners were neutral to dissatisfied with the amount of brush on their land. Two primary reasons listed for wanting to decrease the amount of brush on their property were to increase forage production and water conservation. The kind of brush and cost of brush control were important factors in deciding on specific treatment techniques for brush management. When asked about Brush Busters, 31% indicated they had heard about it, and twice as many of the landowners who had heard of Brush Busters have used individual plant treatments compared to those who had not heard of the program. Those who had used Brush Busters methods did so mainly along fence lines, around pens/corrals, or in follow-up brush control maintenance treatments. The respondents indicated that the most useful sources of information regarding Brush Busters include leaflets, field days, demonstration sites, and extension agents, while the selectivity, relatively low cost, and high level of kill associated with Brush Busters methods were the primary factors that attracted landowners' interest in the program. Our study indicates that landowners' satisfaction with Brush Busters' readily available information, numerous demonstration sites, selectivity, lower cost, and high level of kill will likely result in an increase in IPT treatments recommended in the Brush Busters program. In addition, our study also suggests that, in order for ecologically sound rangeland management practices to be widely adopted by landowners, the development of user-friendly information about low cost techniques that produce quick results is critical.