Fannin County Hay Show

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Fannin County Hay Show

• 1999

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Hay Classes
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Physical Score
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Chemical Score
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Feed Value

• Crude protein lt 7 Protein Supplement required
  for dry cow
• Crude protein 7-11 dry cow hay
• Crude protein 14-16 Dairy hay
• Crude protein gt16 Horse hay

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Integrated Pasture Management

• Effects of Drought
• Pasture Renovation
• Preventative Weed Control

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Production Limits

• 1999 was different
• Dry Winter, Wet Spring
• Drought Since late June
• Plentiful early hay forage production
• Lots of low quality grass weeds
• Limited Late Forage Production
• Early Hay Feeding
• Insects Grasshoppers, Armyworms (?)

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2000

• Cattle prices should be up
• Rebuild grass stands
• Winter pasture needs (?)

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Drought Effects

• Forage Defoliation (hay and grazing)
• Loss of TNCs
• Reduced Spring Competition
• High Potential for Winter Kill
• Open Ground WEEDS
• Early Germination (now) of Spring Weeds
• Shading of Bermudagrass
• Increased Potential for Summer Weeds

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Pasture Renovation

• Minor
• Reduced Carrying Capacity
• Pasture Rest
• Reduced Stocking
• winter pasture
• Weed Control
• Early Mowing
• Grazing Management
• Minor Soil Fertility
• 10 increase in NPK rates

• Major
• Grass Management
• destocking
• replanting
• Subsoiling
• Intensive Weed Control
• major program change
• multiple methods
• Major Soil Fertility
• 100 increase

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Subsoiling

• Break the plow pan
• Reforms under moist conditions
• Shattering vs. slicing
• Root damage
• Timing is critical
• Proper moisture
• Late Winter/early spring

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Liebergs Law of Limits
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Nutrient removed (lbs./ac) by grazing and hay.
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Influence of Nitrogen and Potassium on Coastal
Bermudagrass Survival
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Pasture Weed Control

• Chemical
• and
• NonChemical

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Weed Contolwhy?

• Increase grass yield
• Quality
• differential maturity
• palatability
• Toxic plant
• Multiple
• Seasonal
• Aesthetics
• spousal support

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Weed control and fertilizer effect on
bermudagrass yield (lbs./ac)
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Know Your Weeds

• 300 different plant species
• in East Texas Pastures

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Weed Identification

• Plant type
• grass, grasslike, broadleaf, vine, brush
• Root growth patterns
• Growing pattern annual, biennial, perennial

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Only a Handful Economically Significant

• Woolly Croton Milkweed
• Pigweed Berryvine
• Ragweed Thistles
• Bitterweed Buttercup
• Horsenettle Grassburs
• Dogfennel Bahiagrass
• Dallisgrass Crabgrass

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Weed Invasion and Persistence

• Seed germination requirements
• Stratification
• Moisture
• Infrared light
• Nutrient Reserve is key persistence
• The older the plant is and the more storage
  (reproductive) organs the plant has the greater
  the nutrient reserve and the harder it is to
  control.

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Weed Control Methods

• Chemical
• Mechanical
• Defoliation Mowing, Fire
• Cultivation
• Management
• Crop Rotation
• Crop Competition
• Grazing Management

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Effect of N Rate, herbicide and covercrop on weed
production
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Mulching

• Companion crop
• Grazing management
• palatability periods
• avoid overgrazing
• Stockpiling
• leaves a stubble during germination periods
• winter burn program

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Chemical weed control

• Herbicides labeled for use in Texas pastures

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Labeled HerbicidesBroadleafs

• 2,4-D annual broadleaf
• Dicamba Weedmaster
• Picloram Grazon PD
• Sulfanyl Urea Ally, Amber
• specific weed tolerance and susceptibility
• Rave Dicamba Amber

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Labeled HerbicidesGrasses

• Weedmaster Sprigging bermudagrass
• Velpar smutgrass
• Ally bahiagrass
• Roundup new uses
• Gramoxone afternoon applications

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Basic Principles of Chemical Weed Control

• Know your weeds
• Choose the right herbicide
• Calibrate your sprayer
• Spray at the proper time

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Integrated Weed Control

• Establishment
• timely planting date
• timely appropriate fertility
• timely herbicide application

• Established
• Proper NPK ratio
• Reduce overgrazing
• Multiple benefit herbicide application

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Injury and Weed Control in Newly Established
Coastal
Overton 16 DAT
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Chemical Desiccation of Dallisgrass Sod
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Prevention

• Maintain 4 stubble height for weed control
• Minimize soil disturbance
• Keep fence lines, feed areas, etc. mowed
• Feed purchased hay and feed in weedy areas
• Keep forage crop (system) vigorous and competitive

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Winter Pasture Planting

• Pros
• Quality Grazing
• Reduce Dependence on Hay
• Weed Suppression
• Reasonable Economics

• Cons
• Requires separate paddock
• High Risk
• no water
• Fertility
• Pasture Suppression
• Fertilizer is required (primary cost) after
  fencing)

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1999 Winter Pasture Recommendations

• Plant already purchased seed by Nov. 1
• Decide if you need to purchase (additional) seed
• Postpone fertilizer application until after seed
  have germinated
• Pray for a reasonable winter
• Hope grasshoppers die next spring.

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Summary

• Crop Nutrient Reserve is lowered
• Winter kill
• Minor vs. Major Renovation
• Requirements
• rest tnc restoration
• fertility
• Economics
• Time
• Weed invasion has already started
• Spring weeds germinated
• Summer grass crop suppression
• Summer weed invasion possible

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Summary

• Identify the weed and the crop
• Timing is everything
• Integrated Weed Management
• Starve the weed, feed the crop
• Fertilize, Mulch, Mow, Graze, etc in the best and
  most economical manner
• Seek multiple benefits
• Chemical Weed Control
• Spray annual weeds when they are young and
  actively growing
• Spray perennial weeds at full leaf or fruit set