Frequent fall pasture checks — along with guidance from his local Corteva Range & Pasture Specialist, Jordan Boone (left) — help Andrew McCrea be proactive when stocking rates or timing need to be adjusted for better forage production.
Even though fall can quickly become busy with harvest and putting up silage, Andrew McCrea is never too busy for his pastures. He says it’s worth the time to evaluate pasture health and adjust management plans accordingly.
McCrea runs the fifth-generation crop and cattle enterprise near Maysville, Missouri, with his dad, M.L., and 16-year-old son, Luke. Throughout the year, mostly Missouri-sourced 400- to 500-pound calves arrive at the farm about an hour northeast of St. Joseph. They’ll spend about five months grazing a dozen or so bluegrass and fescue pastures as calves.
“Cattle are a very important part of our operation,” Andrew says. “So, we’re always going to dedicate time to the cattle every day. This includes time for pasture monitoring.”
Depending on the weather conditions and how grazing went throughout the summer, some pastures may need more rest time before the next rotation. Frequent fall pasture checks help the McCreas be proactive when stocking rates or timing need to be adjusted for better forage production.
“We’ve found that just a week or two of extra pasture rest can make a huge difference,” Andrew says. In addition to watching pasture conditions, the McCreas make time during the fall months to scout for any weed escapes or new weed flushes — especially thistles, including musk and bull thistle.
“We don’t typically spray entire pastures in the fall, because our spring-spraying covers most acres every other year. But we do scout for weeds through the fall and spot-spray any weed escapes or new sprouts that need to be controlled,” Andrew explains. “We can’t afford to lose grazing space and forage production.”
The McCreas have relied on Range & Pasture products from Corteva Agriscience and its legacy companies for more than 30 years. Today, the McCreas count on DuraCor® herbicide for broadleaf weeds and Remedy® or Remedy® Ultra herbicide when woody plants pop up. The farm continues to increase acres devoted to UltiGraz℠ Pasture Weed & Feed and the convenience and cost savings a single application of weed control and fertilizer brings.
The McCreas often kill two birds with one stone by checking pastures while completing other fall tasks, such as fixing fence or moving calves.
“We ride horseback a lot to get fall calves used to coming to the feed trough,” Andrew explains. “When we’re on horseback, we see a lot of pasture ground and see where we did a good job spraying — and where we didn’t.”
If you are looking to improve pasture production next year, fall is an excellent time for biennial and perennial weed management. Targeting many biennial and perennial species, such as thistles, horesnettle, knapweeds and tall ironweed, in the fall is an effective, efficient and convenient way to protect your grazing resource and get a jump on spring.
Here are a few more reasons fall weed control is worth the investment:
Later-season treatments can be just as successful — and equally as important — as spring or early summer herbicide applications.
“Our stockers are on pasture year-round,” Andrew says. “We can’t have weeds eating into our stockpiled forage, so we prioritize our pastures and take care of them and invest in them.”
Contact your local herbicide retailer or Corteva Agriscience Range & Pasture Specialist to learn more about weed control options and schedule fall applications.
GrazonPD3™ is a Restricted Use Pesticide. GrazonPD3 is not for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York state. 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. Consult the label for full details. DuraCor is not registered for sale or use in all states. UltiGraz℠ with fertilizer is available for use with specific herbicides in the states of AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NV, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. State restrictions on the sale and use of Remedy® and Remedy® Ultra apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.
