There was a time when the only way to take out a field of hay or pasture was to work it down. Again and again and again. But for those not interested in hitching up the cultivator and burning all that fuel, there's a better way. A shot of glyphosate will do to pasture and hay stands what used to take several tillage operations. That translates into less wear and tear on equipment, less fuel used and a drastic reduction in the potential for soil erosion.
About 25 years ago, Monsanto Canada received the registration for applying Roundup Original to remove forages and kill weeds in fields of hay and pasture. Today, Roundup Transorb is registered as well. Rob Neyedley, Technology Manager - Chemistry with Monsanto said Roundup Transorb does a good job of controlling annual grasses, quack grass and perennial broadleaves such as alfalfa when applied at the proper rate and time. "When Roundup Transorb is applied at a rate of 2.0 L/ac 3 to 7 days prior to the last cutting or grazing, we see very good results," he said. Since Roundup Transorb has no effect on the feed quality, pasture may be grazed 3 days after the herbicide has been applied and hay may be cut within 3 - 7 days of the application. The hay is then baled when it reaches the appropriate moisture level.
In 1998, Ernie and Mervin Springer from Leslie used Roundup Transorb on an old stand of alfalfa. Ernie liked the dry-down of the herbicide. "We found that using the Transorb made it easier to get the alfalfa down to a moisture level that was good enough for storage".
John and George Loeppky farm near Foam Lake. They applied Roundup Transorb to an alfalfa hay field in July 1999. John said they were generally pleased with the results. "The Transorb did a good job. We could have been cutting by the 3rd day but rain came along and we weren't able to get on the field until about the 5th or 6th day. Although the hay didn't have a very good colour, the cattle are eating it well". John indicated that the field browned off completely, with only a little alfalfa coming back. He worked the field for the first time near the end of August and liked how well the alfalfa worked up. "The field worked up better than if we had only cultivated it because the roots weren't holding onto any dirt", he said.
Applying Roundup Transorb to old forage stands enables direct seeders to remove the forage without tillage. Producers have 2 options for applying the Transorb. The first is Pre-harvest : applying 2 L /ac just prior to the second cut.
The second is in the fall: applying 1.5 - 2 L/ac in the fall ensuring there is atleast 8 - 10 inches of active growth.
In both cases, 1.0 L/ac may be needed in the spring to clean up the few remaining survivors but may not be necessary with a strongly competitive crop.
At the SSCA Annual Conference held in February, Ken Sapsford suggested that following an alfalfa stand, a competitive cereal crop (such as oats) could be seeded directly into the sod. The oats could then be sprayed with a broadleaf herbicide to control any alfalfa regrowth and any perennial broadleaf weeds. If sclerotinia hasn't been a problem in the alfalfa, another option would be to seed a Roundup Ready variety of canola directly into the sod.
Taking forages out of production is a lot easier now that an application of roundup Transorb can do the work of many tillage passes. The forages are eliminated, perennial weeds killed and the field isn't left vulnerable to the forces of wind and water.
For more information on using Roundup Transorb on forages, contact your local Monsanto Farm Business Manager or call the Monsanto Help line at 1-800-667-4944.