Herbicide Effectiveness

[skyline]

The folks at the TSCRA school said this weekend that for every 2 pounds of weeds that you kill in a pasture, you get 5 to 7 pounds of grass in it's place. They also said that if you have to choose between fertilizer and herbicide, you should choose herbicide for the biggest bang for the buck and pick back up with fertilizer when you can afford it. Based upon your experience, agree or disagree?

 

[novaman]

I disagree. I seem to remember it being closer to a one to one ratio. As far as the herbicide/fertilizer part I would think a combination would be the best bet. Weeds that are healthy and growing good will be easier to kill.

 

[tytower]

The folks at the TSCRA school said this weekend that for every 2 pounds of weeds that you kill in a pasture, you get 5 to 7 pounds of grass in it's place.

Wonder what TSCRA stands for and who finances them?
I fight weeds with any means usually chemical and I'm not winning. The only thing I can say is doing the job by hand ,pulling the roots out does stop them eventually if you are careful not to spread the seed as you pull them out.

Then you get a clean paddock for every other buggers windswept seeds to drop onto. Never-ending isn't it?

However if you can get the grass to grow back thickly enough the weed seeds don't get the light and don't germinate. Likewise the windswept stuff.

So I reckon fertilize after you've removed the weeds and get the grass going as fast as it will go for a dense cover and keep it as long as you can afford to-dont overgraze if thats possible cause when you do the weed seeds see daylight and up they come.

Quantity ? don't see any sense in the statement from the school grass and weeds weigh the same mostly far as I can see. Although perhaps the same area of land can produce a greater quantity of grass than weeds but I doubt it .Do they quote any reason for this or tell you what their thinking is?

They also said that if you have to choose between fertilizer and herbicide, you should choose herbicide for the biggest bang for the buck and pick back up with fertilizer when you can afford it.

I'm suspecting this might tell you who finances them perhaps,but If your game is Cattle then really all you do and what you have to get right is grow grass.

You sell the produce of your grass and you should study up on getting the grass growing as fast as possible with as much in it as possibe and keeping your paddocks as sustainable and healthy as possible. The cattle will take care of themselves

 

[skyline]

Tytower - TSCRA stands for Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. http://www.texascattleraisers.org As far as I know their primary source of funds is member fees. The instructor was an instructor and rancher from TCU Ranch Management Program. http://www.ranch.tcu.edu I don't think either has a dog in the hunt (conflict of interest). They certainly don't sell fertilizer or herbicide.

I guess my question was more from a practical experience perspective. We've owned our property for about five years and bought additional pasture this year. I understand that the pastures used to be very productive coastal bermuda fields. They have been neglected for years. The previous owner allowed a local fellow to cut hay without fertilizer or lime. I think the soil has just slowly depleted and now I'm left with bahia encroachment and very little coastal remaining. This spring I have noticed a lot of broadleaf weeds, small blackberry vines, etc... I'm committed for the long haul to improve the pastures (soil tests, lime, fertilizer, herbicide, etc...), but I'm trying to use my $ (limited) to get the biggest bang for the buck.

 

[tytower]

Tytower - TSCRA stands for Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. http://www.texascattleraisers.org As far as I know their primary source of funds is member fees. The instructor was an instructor and rancher from TCU Ranch Management Program. http://www.ranch.tcu.edu I don't think either has a dog in the hunt (conflict of interest). They certainly don't sell fertilizer or herbicide.

I guess my question was more from a practical experience perspective. We've owned our property for about five years and bought additional pasture this year. I understand that the pastures used to be very roductive coastal bermuda fields. They have been neglected for years. The previous owner allowed a local fellow to cut hay without fertilizer or lime. I think the
soil has just slowly depleted and now I'm left with bahia encroachment and very little coastal remaining. This spring I have noticed a lot of broadleaf weeds, small blackberry vines, etc... I'm committed for the long haul to improve the pastures (soil tests, lime, fertilizer, herbicide, etc...), but I'm trying to use my $ (limited) to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Thanks for the link its always useful to see where these things come from.
If you go to their magazine Cattle Call Winter 2006 you wills see on page 5 a list of sponsors for the Roundup event.
Such names as Ellanco,Dow Agri Sciences and Bayer I recognise , a couple I don't but the point is this is how they infiltrate, entice and pervert thinking so you do what they want you to do -buy herbicide.
All legal of course but covert with the one purpose

My approach to getting a paddock back in Australia where we have acid soils is to lime heavily ,in my case I use Dolomite for the extra minerals it supplies, then chisel plough diagonally in both directions at about 3 inches depth first year. Tynes about a foot apart and finish with a run following the contour . Next year take it down to 6 inches and the next 9.

Here is a link to the Yeomans keyline method which I follow

http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrar ... 25toc.html
Thats all-
Plants need ten things to grow 5 of which we cant affect Five we can -
open the soil so the water and air can get in ,replace some of the humus if we can
And I forget the other two-you might have to google -cheers[/url]