Strategies to Keep Grass Growing and Cattle Gaining

Keeping weeds out of the way of pasture production during the summer months delivers the benefits needed to maximize producers’ lowest-cost feed source — forages.

“For every pound of weeds controlled on range and pasture lands, more than a pound of grass is returned as high-quality forage,” says Scott Flynn, Zonal Biology Lead at Corteva Agriscience.

 Weed infestations and encroaching brush don’t just decrease the profitability of pastures. They can also diminish the nutritional value of pastures, forage availability and stocking rates. Removing undesirable species in pastures and along fence lines will pay off for producers in the long run.

“There are some species that if producers don’t get control of by late spring, the effects are carried over to the time of year when we need forage production the most,” Flynn says. “Species like spiny pigweed, common cocklebur, ironweed and woolly croton can take over and really hurt production.”

Unless plagued by drought, summer is the best time to remove troublesome species; when growing conditions are favorable and leaves are fully leafed out on brush.

“Tank-mixing PastureGard HL or Remedy Ultra herbicide with a broad-spectrum product, like DuraCor herbicide, broadens the brush control spectrum and controls understory broadleaf weeds,” Flynn says. “This allows moisture and soil nutrients, when pastures need them most, to go to desirable forages that help cattle more efficiently reach a marketable weight.”