Older, established pastures make up a much larger percentage of the typical New Zealand dairy farm. Think of these as your bread and butter. They earn much of your annual income, and they deserve to be well taken care of, too.
May is a good time to check the state of these pastures and prepare a winter clean-up programme to rid them of non-productive weeds if necessary.
If you leave any weeds present until spring, they are likely to spread, and to be larger, harder and more expensive to control.
Broadleaf weeds often targeted for winter control in established pastures include thistles, ragwort and buttercup. They're autumn germinating, frost hardy and have the highest economic impact especially where they have taken hold in thin or bare areas of pasture.
Several herbicides are available to protect the productivity of your established pastures, including Agritone® 750, Relay® Super S, Baton® 800 WSG, Sprinter® 700DS and later in the season, when weeds are large and hard to kill, Conquest® (Conquest® will severely damage clovers, however and these may need to be re-sown.)
Each has different weed spectrum strengths and characteristics, so it's important to get the right advice before making a decision. Your Farm Source Technical Sales Rep is the best person to ask - they can help with weed identification and recommend the best product, application method and spray timing for your farm.
For more helpful advice on keeping all your pastures growing to their potential, talk to your Farm Source Technical Sales Rep today.
® Relay, Sprinter are registered trademarks of Nufarm Ltd.
® Conquest, Agritone, Baton are registered trademarks of Nufarm Australia Ltd.
To get the best out of your winter weed clean-up
- Spray when there has been full germination of the target weeds.
- Graze the paddock before spraying to expose the weed plants. (Good chemical coverage is essential for best results.) Allow a few days for growth to freshen, then apply the appropriate herbicide.
- Remember weeds must be actively growing - if they are not, the chemical will not be carried through the plant tissue as it should be, and its effect will be compromised. Do not spray weeds that are frosted, moisturestressed or waterlogged.
- Watch the forecast! Relay® Super S and Agritone® 750 need two hours to become rainfast; Baton® and Sprinter® need six hours.
- Comply with local regulations for phenoxy herbicide application. Some regions (e.g. Northland) specify certain time periods for these products.
Article supplied by Nufarm Limited.