Photo Credit: Corteva Agriscience
Don’t let winter weather stop you from planning for everyone’s favorite time of year: peak grazing season. Learn how you can prepare for the new year now.
It is never too early to start planning for peak grazing season. Now is a great time to think about pasture management and develop a plan that will help you maximize your grazing program next year.
The best way to make positive management decisions that can improve pasture and rangeland in the new year is to understand current conditions. How much standing stubble remains? If weather or grazing stress has thinned stands, reconsider stocking rates or adjust rotational grazing schedules. Dormant-season brush control can be a great way to make hay — so to speak — during the winter months if snow or standing water don’t prevent proper application. What weeds were where? You typically know the weedy spots. Get a treatment plan in place — moisture will germinate biennial weeds and initiate perennial regrowth, often earlier than we think.
“If you couldn’t get out and treat weeds during the fall, start early in the spring,” says Scott Flynn, Ph.D., a field scientist with Corteva Agriscience. “Have a plan in place to take out weedy competition once those cool-season grasses start to green up.”
Using a residual herbicide early in the season, such as DuraCor® herbicide, stops the weeds that are up and growing while providing control of those that germinate later. This extended control will help stop weeds throughout the season, preserving moisture and allowing grasses to get a head start on the weeds.
To develop a pasture management plan and discuss herbicide selection, connect with the Farmers Co-op Agronomy Department in Van Buren, at 479-474-6622, the NW Arkansas Fertilizer Center in Lincoln, at (479) 500-2050, or any of our 18 locations.
Source: Corteva Agriscience
