Right now, you're probably more focussed on getting through the rest of winter with the right amount of feed to keep your cows in good shape for calving.
As soon as the days start getting longer and warmer however, daily spring pasture growth rates will take off. And many production-limiting broadleaf weeds thrive just as much - if not more - in these conditions. So it's always a good idea to know what is actually growing in established pastures before spring gets going.
Are your paddocks full of high quality, cost-effective, home-grown ryegrass and clover? Or do they contain less desirable species, like dock, ragwort, thistles or penny royal?
A well-timed spring herbicide programme will not only enhance pasture dry matter (DM) yield this season but will also help lengthen the life of existing pastures.
One of the most common mistakes made with spring weed control is spraying too late. Just because weeds aren't immediately obvious in the pasture, it doesn't mean they're not there.
Spring germinating weeds can be present under the pasture cover as seedlings and small plants. After the pasture is grazed, they are exposed to sunlight and are likely to then develop to the point where they will severely limit pasture production.
If left until they mature and flower, in most cases it's too late. They will be very difficult if not impossible to kill.
The three pillars of good spring weed control are:
- Start looking for spring weeds early, i.e. September.
- Identify the full range of weeds that need to be controlled.
- Select the right product for the job.
Proven herbicide options for this use include Baton 800WSG, Sprinter 700DS and Valdo 800WG. They are specifically designed to kill broadleaf weeds while the plants are still small.
Baton 800WSG and Sprinter 700DS (Group 4) are selective phenoxy herbicides that control many broadleaf weeds, including ragwort, thistles, pennyroyal and wild carrot in pasture, without major damage to clover.
Depending on the weed species present, Baton 800WSG or Sprinter 700DS can be tank mixed with Valdo 800WG (Group 2). This clover friendly flumetsulam herbicide is particularly useful for improving control of buttercups and brassica weeds such as creeping yellow cress, hedge mustard and wild turnip.
Dockstar (Group 18) is another useful option, where docks are the main challenge. However, in many cases farmers want to eliminate other broadleaf weeds along with dock, in which case another solution is available.
This is a tank mix using a lower rate of Dockstar (2 litres/ha) with either Baton 800WSG at 2 kg/ha or Sprinter at 2.3L/ha. This combination will provide good control of dock and other broadleaf weeds with less pasture suppression than Dockstar alone at the full label rate.
Getting the best results from a tank mix depends on several factors - talk to your Technical Sales Rep or visit your local Farm Source store.
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Article supplied by Nufarm.