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The American Forage and Grassland Council recognizes National Forage Week each year. Healthy forage is the cornerstone for any successful ranching operation and any healthy ecosystem. Nutrient dense crops provide a cost-effective way for ranchers to feed and grow their herd, improve soil quality, increase water retention, and ensure resilience to wildfires.
For cattle ranchers and hay growers, invasive weeds and grasses can threaten their land and livelihood. Cheatgrass results in accelerated nitrogen loss, medusahead creates a thick layer of thatch that prevents germination of other desirable plants, and ventenata’s shallow root system causes soil erosion. All three contribute to faster spreading and more destructive wildfires.
Wildfires burn over 7 million acres of land in the U.S. annually, with fire suppression costing an average of $3 billion according to the National Interagency Fire Center. To date, 1,252,235 acres have burned across the United States. The scenes from the Los Angeles fires last year were devastating, but make no mistake, wildfires aren’t exclusive to California. The risk of wildfires is prevalent across most of the United States. The Bureau of Land Management recently began using Indaziflam on BLM-owned land to combat cheatgrass across the United States.
A single plant of crabgrass is capable of producing 150 to 700 tillers and 150,000 seeds. Sandbur is highly adaptable and readily colonizes disturbed areas. Goosegrass can easily outcompete other plants, and, like crabgrass, has prolific seed production. All three can siphon nutrients from desirable grasses, decreasing hay quality and degrading ecosystems. As any grower knows, hay quality is key for a profitable business.
While invasive weeds have been around for hundreds of years, ranchers and growers don’t have to rely solely on physical methods to eradicate them. By leveraging modern solutions, ranchers and growers can tackle age-old problems with ease.
One way for ranchers and growers to protect their hay and forage is by mixing in a preemergent herbicide to any mitigation strategy. There are many options available for ranchers and growers that tackle most common weeds.
“Combining physical weed mitigation efforts with preemergent herbicides like Rejuvra® and Rezilon® offer ranchers and growers a powerful tool to get lasting control over invasive species that threaten their land and livelihood,” said Justin Hossfeld, Envu™ Range and Pasture Specialist. “Herbicide application should be timed carefully to ensure lasting results. Depending on which weeds you’re looking to control and where you’re located, spring and winter applications allow ranchers and growers to not just kill invasive weeds upon application but prevent germination for the rest of the season.”
During National Forage Week, it’s critical that ranchers and growers examine their forage, determine the best path forward in combating threats to desirable grasses and plants, and understand how combating these invasive species can improve ecosystems and the land they intend to pass down to the next generation.
