The point of pasture weed control is more grass for grazing or better hay in the barn. A few simple steps can make either a reality.
Herbicides work best when used correctly. To get the best return on investment from your pasture weed spraying, experts with Corteva Agriscience offer six tips.
1. Identify the weed problem.
Your best choice of herbicides, application rates and timing may vary by target weed species.For the best broadleaf weed control, DuraCor® herbicide is the product of choice. It controls more than 140 broadleaf weed species and provides soil residual activity to control new germinations for several weeks after application. But DuraCor also will control clovers that may be desirable in a pasture.
DuraCor is one of several herbicides Corteva Agriscience offers for pasture weed and brush control. Contact your local retailer or Corteva Agriscience Range & Pasture Specialist for more localized recommendations to customize your pasture improvement.
2. Use a calibrated sprayer or a professional applicator.
Proper calibration saves both the waste and expense of overapplication, and it prevents reduced control from underapplication. Get your money's worth. Don’t guess. Calibrate.
3. Spray at the right time with the right rate.
Annual weeds in pastures are generally most susceptible early in the season when they’re small and actively growing and when soil moisture is adequate. Using DuraCor herbicide will provide longer soil residual activity than any other pasture herbicide and control weeds that germinate for several weeks after spraying. After that, competition and soil shading from a healthy grass cover often provide season-long control.
Some perennial weeds may require later timing for best results. Identify your weed problem and check the herbicide label or contact your local retailer or Corteva Agriscience Range & Pasture Specialist for a recommendation.
4. Recognize that drought-stressed or mature weeds will be more difficult to control.
Effectiveness may be reduced if weeds don't have adequate moisture and aren’t rapidly growing when you spray. In a dry year, spraying early will improve results and help your grass capture scarce moisture. Weed-free pastures always recover faster from drought. The key is to spray early when conditions are acceptable. For late applications or less favorable conditions, you’ll need to increase the application rate for satisfactory control.
5. Follow label directions for application and mixing.
For ground broadcast, apply the recommended rate of herbicide in 10 to 20 gallons of total spray mixture per acre. Use the recommended rate of an agricultural surfactant to thoroughly wet the foliage. Consider a drift control additive to reduce drift and improve deposition.
6. Remember soil residual activity and plant residue.
While DuraCor may provide weed control for several weeks in permanent grass pasture, it should not be used on cropland or on land to be rotated to crops. Most broadleaf crops are more sensitive to the residual activity than weeds are. Those crops may be affected if planted within two years or more of spraying. Don’t plant a broadleaf crop until an adequately sensitive field bioassay shows the crop will not be harmed. Cereals and corn, however, can be planted one year after treatment. Remember, too, grasses treated with any soil residual herbicide may carry herbicide residue that can be transferred to the soil by hay, livestock manure or urine. Read and follow all label precautions.
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® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Under normal field conditions, DuraCor® is nonvolatile. DuraCor has no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with DuraCor and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. DuraCor is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.
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