Mississippi Forage & Grassland Council · 2014-12-17 · county extension agent for help with identification. Final- ... trol blackberry. IPT is generally applied on a spray ... way

Mississippi Grassland

Weed control is a management

tool that can be used to help

forages compete for water,

nutrients, and sunlight. Some

weed control applications are

relatively inexpensive relative

to many other pasture im-

provement practices. An ef-

fective weed control program

can help forage producers pro-

duce more grass and in turn,

increase profitability. There

are 3 basic steps to developing

an effective weed control pro-

gram: 1.) identification of

weeds, 2.) determine the eco-

nomic threshold, 3.) choose a

management option for con-

trolling the weeds.

To identify weeds, start by

walking or driving through

your pastures checking for

weed pressure. Next determine

whether the given weed is a

grass, sedge, broadleaf, vine/

briar, or brush species. Grass-

es and sedges can sometimes

look similar, but sedges always

have a triangular stem with

narrow leaves. Whereas, grass-

es can be identified by charac-

teristics such as ligules, pubes-

cence, seed head, leaf margin,

and stem shape. Broadleaf

weeds, briars/vines, and brush

can also sometimes look simi-

lar, as they all generally have

wide leaves with branched

veins. Look for special identi-

fying characteristics such as

leaf arrangement, leaf shape,

flower and/or fruit, stem

shape, etc.

If you are still having problems

identifying the weed after mak-

ing this determination, there

are several convenient options

that are available to the public.

First, there are some really

good books/guides to help

identify weeds. Two pasture

weed identification books that

I recommend are Weeds of

the South and Weeds of

Southern Turfgrasses. These

books can found online and

are relatively inexpensive. An-

other option for identifying

weeds is to contact your local

county extension agent for

help with identification. Final-

ly, nowadays there are numer-

ous smartphone apps that aid

Perilla mint can be very toxic to

livestock. It grows better in shaded

areas such treelines.

Developing an Effective Pasture Weed Control Program By Matt McGowin

Harris Land and Cattle Com-

pany personifies the diversi-

fied family farm which tries to

make a difference in their own

business and the livestock

industry. Composed of three

families, Bill and Kay Harris,

their son-in-law and daughter

David and Lilly Dooley and

their children Dee 19,

Kathryn 16, and Harris 12,

and son and daughter-in-law

Bill Harris, Jr. and Christy,

each is dedicated to preserv-

ing the land on which they

live. From cotton to pasture,

from registered Angus cattle

to commercial crossbreds, and

A Diversified Family Farm Making a Difference in the Livestock Industry By Jeff Wilson

Mississippi Forage & Grassland Council

July, 2013

Volume 1, Issue 1

Weed Control 1

Farm Diversification 1

Planning for the Future 4

Inside this issue:

Upcoming Events:

Simpson Co Field Day,

Mendenhall, July 9

Deep South Stocker Con-

ference, Watkinsville, GA,

August 8-9

White Sand Field Day, July

13

Cattlemen’s College

Cain Cattle, Pikens,

August 28

JRW Simmentals, Semi-

nary, August 29

MS Hay Contest, Octo-

ber 4

Continued to page 3

Continued to page 2

A diversified Family Farm…...

It is time to start scouting for

armyworms. Remember that

signalgrass and crabgrass will be

good hosts.

Cross fence to control grazing rotation

Rotational grazing will

allow for better forage

utilization which can

have greater benefits

such as extending the

grazing season, higher

gain per acre and

better nutrient cycling.

Page 2 Miss iss ippi Grass land Volume 1, I ssue 1

from marketing weaned calves to

feed lot cattle, Harris Land and

Cattle is certainly diversified in

production agriculture.

Bill and Kay Harris began the

farming operation in 1966 with

800 acres after he finished his BS

degree from Mississippi State Uni-

versity. The farm consisted of a

cow/calf operation of commercial

and registered Angus cows and a

row crop operation of cotton,

corn, and soybeans.

In January 1991, their daughter

Lilly and her husband David

Dooley joined the organization.

David, with his BS degree in Agri-

cultural Economics from Missis-

sippi State University, added an-

other layer of expertise to the

farm. In 1995, their son Bill Harris,

Jr. also with a Bachelor of Science

degree from Mississippi State Uni-

versity, returned home to officially

become a partner in the operation.

Now with approximately 6000

owned acres and about 600

leased acres, plus a cotton gin

having been added through the

years, the partners continuously

look for new ways to be more

efficient and profitable. Com-

puters are used for records,

budgeting, and other facets of

the operation. Kay Harris and

daughter Lilly are in charge of

farm records and computer op-

eration.

Maintaining a beef cattle opera-

tion of 600 plus cow/calf units

requires a complete fertilizer

and weed control program for

the pastures. Weeds affect

productivity because they have

little or no forage value for

livestock and crowd out other

vegetation. This is also im-

portant for hay production.

The farm’s breeding program is a

major part of their production.

Artificial Insemination and the

natural service of performance

tested bulls are used. Weaning

weights average over 550 pounds

for steers and 510 for heifers. A

small herd of registered Angus is

maintained. Each individual cow

has an identifying ear tag and

complete production and weaning

records are maintained on each

cow and calf. Most of the bulls

used on the commercial herd

come from the registered herd.

A complete nutrition program

including vitamins and miner-

als is applied. Winter grazing is

a necessary and important

aspect of the nutrition pro-

gram. Wheat and ryegrass over

seeded on improved coastal

Bermuda pastures provide

winter and early spring graz-

ing. Over seeding

avoids erosion and

top soil loss. A com-

prehensive health

program plus rigid

culling and a con-

trolled breeding sea-

son results in better

prices for calves as

there is less shrink-

age and death loss.

The marketing

program of the

farm includes

cooperative mar-

keting, order

buyers contract

sales, bull by

private treaty,

and retained

ownership

through the

feedlots.

The partners continu-

ously strive to develop

more efficient and better

production techniques.

They have been success-

ful in adapting new tech-

nologies and developing

personalized manage-

ment techniques to fit

the diversified farm op-

eration and range of soil

types.

Overseeding of pastureland with annual

cool-season forage

Pond used as watering facility for live-

stock

Introducing bermudagrass for hay and

grazing purposes

Weed control…….

In pasture systems, spot

spraying or individual plant

treatment (IPT) is often

the most economical and

preventative way to keep

weed infestations at a mini-

mum and that can also

minimize damage to clover

if it is in the forage. Two

appealing aspects of IPT

are excellent control and

cost effectiveness. IPT fits

well with many part-time

farmers because it does not

require a large investment

in equipment. An example

of IPT is using Cimarron®

Plus in an ATV sprayer or

back-pack sprayer to con-

trol blackberry. IPT is

generally applied on a spray

-to-wet basis; spray until all

leaves appear to be wet.

Coverage should look simi-

lar to that of light rain

shower. Over-spraying

until runoff can waste

herbicide and may not

improve control.

Before making a broadcast

herbicide application, be

sure that the spray equip-

ment is properly calibrated

and that environmental

conditions are favorable

for spraying. Herbicides

should never be applied

when it is too windy or in

extreme wet or dry condi-

tions. Also, many herbi-

cides have haying and/or

grazing restrictions follow-

ing an application. For

information on grazing/

haying restrictions as well

as specific herbicide rec-

ommendations, refer to the

herbicide manufacturer’s

product label. It is important

to always read and follow the

label directions when using any

herbicide, because indeed “the

label is the law.”

Mechanical Weed Control.

Mowing is one of the most

often used weed control meth-

ods in pastures. When timed

properly, mowing is a good

way to reduce seed production

and dispersal. Repeated mow-

ing can also reduce a weeds

competitive ability by depleting

carbohydrate reserves in the

roots. However, a single mow-

ing generally will not satisfacto-

rily control most weeds. Mow-

ing three or four times per year

over several years can greatly

reduce and sometime eliminate

certain weeds, including this-

tles. Multiple mowing applica-

tions can become very expen-

sive especially given current

fuel prices. If mowing is per-

formed after seed set, seeds

can accumulate on mowing

equipment and worsen the

weed problem by spreading

seeds to other pastures.

Cultural Practices. Cultural

practices can aid in weed con-

trol by giving forages a com-

petitive advantage against

weeds. In the establishment

year, these practices include:

seedbed preparation, optimum

planting timing, fertilizing

properly, choosing a high qual-

ity seed that is weed free, and

applying the correct seeding

rate. In an established pasture,

cultural practices include moni-

toring soil pH, fertility, and,

potentially, water management.

Another cultural practice that

Always calibrate your

sprayer before a herbicide

application. Following

label recommendations

and grazing restrictions

are important in forage

production.

Page 3 Miss iss ippi Grass land Volume 1, I ssue 1

in weed identification. Leafsnap

and ID Weeds are two apps that I

use. I suggest using multiple

sources to be certain that identifi-

cation is correct.

The second step in developing an

effective weed control program is

determining the economic thresh-

old for controlling weeds. In pas-

ture, weed control decisions are

based largely on visual thresholds

and intuition. However, some

studies suggest that if weeds are

present in more than 20% of a

field, weed control is likely neces-

sary. Also, a good general rule of

thumb is that for every one pound

of weed reduction there is an addi-

tional one pound in grass produc-

tion. Therefore, if 1000 pounds of

weeds per acre were removed,

grass production should increase

by an additional 1000 pounds per

acre.

The third step in developing an

effective weed control program is

to choose a management option

for controlling weeds. These op-

tions include: chemical control,

mechanical control, and cultural

practices.

Chemical Weed Control. Herbi-

cides provide an economical, selec-

tive, convenient way to manage

weeds. Herbicides control weeds

by inhibiting plant processes that

are necessary for growth. Herbi-

cides should be selected based on

forage species, weed species, cost,

and ease of application. Remem-

ber that young, small weeds are

generally most susceptible to con-

trol with herbicides. Therefore,

scout pastures early and often to

ensure the best weed control possi-

ble.

can aid in weed control is proper

grazing management. When small

and tender, some weeds are eaten

by livestock. For example, little

barley is consumed by cattle for a

short period of time in the spring.

However, once seedheads emerge,

cattle tend to eat around it.

In summary, as input prices on seed, fertilizer, and fuel continue to rise, reducing losses to weeds will continue to increase in importance. An integrated program that com-bines chemical, mechanical, and cultural control tools can provide effective economic weed manage-ment in pastureland. An effective weed control program is essential to establish and maintain highly productive pastures and animal performance. If you have

any questions about pasture weed

control, feel free to contact me at:

[email protected]

Mississippi Forage & Grassland Council provides a voice and

leadership for the Mississippi’s forage-based agriculture. Any per-

son, business, or organization having an interest in forages or grass-

land agriculture is invited to become a MSFGC member. The

membership is composed of forage crop producers, livestock produc-

ers, agribusiness, educators, researchers, government employees, news

media, hay dealers/brokers, youth and forage enthusiasts.

The MSFGC is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. To

become a member visit:

http://mississippifgc.org/membership.html

C/O Dr. Rocky Lemus

Department of Plant & Soil Sciences

P.O. Box 9555, 32 Creelman St

Mississippi State, MS 39762

We’re on the web

http://mississippifgc.org

bahiagrass and hybrid bermu-

dagrass that is being estab-

lished this summer. One of

the practical management prac-

tices utilized in the farm is soil

testing. Every paddock was

sampled in 2012 to establish a

nutrient management program

that will allow incorporating

poultry litter.

Water and shade are also an

important part of the equation

and water was installed in areas

where a pond was not available

to the livestock.

They have also implemented a

weed control program to re-

duce weed competition, espe-

cially in the areas where clover

was inter-seeded.

Establishing a working facility

and area to maintain the bulls

is also part of the farm devel-

Producers are looking to re-

duce inputs into their livestock

operations and be more effi-

cient in grazing management.

Jimmy Morton and his busi-

ness partner Kirby Nazary are

not an exception. Working

closely with the MSU forage

extension program, they are

planning ahead to develop a

rotation grazing system that

will allow them to extend the

grazing season.

The operation is located in

Leake County and they have

worked very hard to subdivide

their pastures using electric

fencing as well as establishing

and renovating their pastures.

Their diverse forage produc-

tion system include MaxQ tall

fescue inter-seeded with white

clover, common bermudagrass,

K-31 mixed pastures, TifQuik

opment program. Thanks to

the handy welding skills of

Kirby, they designed their own

working facility that allows

them to bring cattle from each

of the paddocks and work the

livestock.

Jimmy and Kirby continue

working on developing a pro-

gram that will allow them to

graze beyond 300 days to mini-

mize hay utilization. Incorpo-

rating annual cool-season

grasses will be part of the graz-

ing system once the new forag-

es are established.

Planning for the Future (by Rocky Lemus)

Phone: 662-325-7718

Fax: 662-325-8742

E-mail: [email protected]

Clover/tall fescue mixture to

maintain forage quality

Mississippi Forage & Grassland

Council

The use of electric fence in roation-

al grazing will keep pastures more

vegetative with better quality Good working facilities can

decrease stress in livestock

Bermudagrass fertility and forage quality research at MSU