Seasonal comparison of household vinegar and glyphosate treatments on <i>Microstegium vimineum</i> removal in the North Carolina, <scp>United States</scp> piedmont

Microstegium vimineum , or Japanese stiltgrass, is an invasive species that readily outcompetes native vegetation and is of poor forage quality for wildlife. This species is widespread throughout the southeastern United States, including North Carolina. Much of this region is privately owned and there is a gap in the literature providing succinct information about the best methods of treatment, timing of treatment, and effects of treatment on native herbaceous plants in this region. This study seeks to address this gap by evaluating two treatments that are easily accessible to landowners (glyphosate and vinegar) applied at three intervals throughout the growing season to assess the effects on M. vimineum removal and the herbaceous plant community. We found that glyphosate application was the most effective treatment, removing nearly 100% of M. vimineum but resulting in less diverse herbaceous communities. In contrast, vinegar application was both effective (54.9 ± 2.7% M. vimineum removal) and maintained species richness and diversity. Timing of applications did not affect treatment efficacy or plant diversity for either treatment. This study provides evidence that vinegar is an effective substitute for synthetic herbicides and can support M. vimineum removal efforts while maintaining plant diversity.