Start Date
1-14-2011 1:00 PM
Description
Weed control is one of the most talked about concerns of forage-animal systems. Producers will sometimes pay more attention to some pests than others and more so in some crops than others. For example, a producer may have a very low threshold for weed infestation in their corn, soybean or tobacco field but will have a very high tolerance for weeds in their pastures. This is usually because the “direct” dollar value of the forage is not seen while we can “see” how a reduction in soybean or corn yield will affect the bottom line of our operation. Vegetation manipulation is the only practical way to increase forage for livestock and to improve wildlife habitat on some grasslands (Holechek et al., 2004) especially when land prices prohibit the acquisition of more acreage.
Included in
Controlling Weeds in Horse and Cattle Pastures
Weed control is one of the most talked about concerns of forage-animal systems. Producers will sometimes pay more attention to some pests than others and more so in some crops than others. For example, a producer may have a very low threshold for weed infestation in their corn, soybean or tobacco field but will have a very high tolerance for weeds in their pastures. This is usually because the “direct” dollar value of the forage is not seen while we can “see” how a reduction in soybean or corn yield will affect the bottom line of our operation. Vegetation manipulation is the only practical way to increase forage for livestock and to improve wildlife habitat on some grasslands (Holechek et al., 2004) especially when land prices prohibit the acquisition of more acreage.