The Pasture Improvement Calendar

Whether you’re facing summer sun or winter snow, there’s always an active to-do list on the ranch — especially when it comes to pasture management. But breaking down your to-dos by season can not only help make that list less intimidating but also help give your weed and brush control program the best chance of success.

Winter

When winter hits, it may be easy to kick up your feet and think about all the things you didn’t manage to cross off your to-do list before the first frost. But there are plenty of winter-friendly management decisions to be made and actions to take during this time of year.

• You can start by sitting in front of the fire and evaluating your previous grazing season. From there, you can begin to plan adjustments to your grazing programs and pasture needs for the upcoming season.
• Take a look at your equipment. Clean your nozzles, make sure pumps are in working order, check hoses for cracks or leaks and calibrate to ensure proper application.
• A nice day in January sure beats spraying brush in the heat of summer. You can use dormant-season individual plant treatments like low-volume basal bark and basal cut-stump treatments to help stop encroaching brush before spring, as long as snow or standing water doesn’t prevent proper application.
• Talk to your Corteva Range & Pasture Specialist and work with your retailer or custom applicator to plan early spring applications, including control of winter annuals and biennial thistlies. If you have pastures where you manage white clover and annual lespedeza ask about new NovaGraz™ herbicide, the only product on the market that controls many broadleaf weeds but preserves white clover and annual lespedeza.
• In mesquite regions, talk to the Corteva Range & Pasture Specialist in your area about how the most trusted name in mesquite control just got better. Sendero herbicide is now Powered by LandVisor giving you a comprehensive view of your land, revealing actionable insights to make the right decisions at the right time. LandVisor combines sophisticated imagery, data, technology and expert guidance to give you confidence in your land management decisions.
• Make winter brush applications of Spike^® 20P to control species like sagebrush, creosote bush and other susceptible woody plants. Consult your local Range & Pasture Specialist to verify if Spike 20P is the right fit for your pastures.

Spring

Everything — including weeds — is starting to grow after lying dormant for a few months. That makes spring a crucial time to remain vigilant.

• You aren’t the only one eager for spring turnout. After a winter in pens and barns, your herd is ready go back to pasture. But delaying turnout as long as possible can give stressed pastures more time to recover.
• Begin monitoring pastures early — even before they start to green up. This allows you to catch and address any potential problems while they’re still small.
• Watch for early emerging weeds and biennial thistles. Treat early. Early weed detection and treatment is the foundation for better forage production.
• Use a herbicide with residual control, such as DuraCor^® or GrazonPD3^™ herbicide, to control any new weed flushes that pop up well into the grazing season.
• If you do NOT want residual or are trying to protect white clover and annual lespedeza, a spring application of NovaGraz can benefit your pastures.
• Don’t forget to feed your pastures. UltiGraz℠ Pasture Weed & Feed with DuraCor® herbicide lets you fertilize and control weeds in a single pass, saving you time and money.
• Lastly, monitor winter hay-feeding sites for new weeds that might have arrived with purchased hay.

Summer

Early summer opens the window for treating many perennial weeds, including Canada thistle, tall ironweed, silverleaf nightshade and horsenettle. Those weeds and other undesirables can leave your grass susceptible to weed pressure and leave your herd hungry.

• Later-season weeds like ironweed and cocklebur can rapidly reach enormous heights, easily choking out grasses.
• Don’t forget to keep an eye out on the ground for shorter weeds like leafy spurge, which may also start popping up. The weed reaches its true flower growth stage in mid- to late June, but all isn’t lost if it starts to flower. GrazonPD3^™ herbicide provides the best leafy spurge control available and is effective on most other noxious and invasive weeds.
• While you're treating late season weeds, start planning and executing your treatment applications of brush and woody plants.  For best results, allow for full leaf expansion on targeted brush species.  Foliar applications should be made when leaves are dry and have no new vegetative growth.
• For renovation-type brush control programs, work with your Corteva Range & Pasture Specialist and applicator to inventory species and develop a prescription tank mix that could include a foundational product such as MezaVue^®, Sendero^®, GrazonPD3^®, Tordon^® 22K, Remedy^®, Remedy^® Ultra, DuraCor^® or PastureGard^® HL herbicides.

Fall

The leaves are changing, and the temperature is dropping — fall is here. The season of recovery is the perfect time to take steps to help your grasses recover from spring and summer and prepare for winter.

• Fall moisture will germinate new weed seedlings. Most are easier to control at this stage, which makes herbicide applications especially effective during this season.
• Perennial weeds are also more vulnerable to fall applications. As the weeds prepare to overwinter, they intake winter food reserves — and your herbicide application.
• Brush control also becomes more pleasant this time of year because of the cooler temperatures and more comfortable weather conditions.
• Dormant-season individual plant treatments, such as low-volume basal and basal cut-stump, can help improve pastures during the off-season.
• It's important to soil test to determine what fertilizer blends are best for your pastures. Some with cool-season grasses migh benefit from fall applications. If that is the case, UltiGraz^℠ Pasture Weed & Feed with DuraCor is an option.

Our Range & Pasture Specialists help deliver local, customized solutions across the country. For help with a seasonal plan to optimize your grazing land, talk with your Corteva Agriscience Range & Pasture Specialist. Click here to find your specialist.

GrazonPD3™, MezaVue®, Surmount®, and Tordon® 22K are Restricted Use Pesticides. Spike® is a registered trademark of Nutrichem used under license. White clover and annual lespedeza exhibit some initial injury (such as lodging and loss of vigor) when treated with NovaGraz™ but recover. Under normal field conditions Chaparral™, DuraCor®, HighNoon®, and Milestone® are non-volatile. Chaparrel, DuraCor, GrazonNext® HL, HighNoon, and Milestone have no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Except for lactating dairy animals, there are no grazing restrictions following application of this product. State restrictions on the sale and use of Remedy® apply. Consult the label for full details. GrazonNext HL is not for sale, distribution, or use in New York State and San Luis Valley of Colorado. GrazonPD3 is not for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York State. 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. Not all products are 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. Consult the label before you purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.