Weeds in grassland, what to do?

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
I've a field that's contains a fair few broadleaf weeds. Clover is looking well, pH and nutrients are fine, and only other issue is lack of actual grass in places. It's intended to be cut for haylage at the beginning of July

Should I spray off the broadleaves now with MCPA / 2.4D and check the clover?

Is it time to consider a full reseed?

Opinions please, I'm not wanting to just throw away fertiliser and hope!

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neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Substitute Hurler for the Morain I used. Same stuff.
Yes it knocks nettles but do you actually need that degree of weed killing potency and cost for nettles? If its just for patches you may as well use it but be aware that these chemicals might not be recommended for knapsack application. You need to check.

I don’t ‘do’ knapsacks if I can possibly help it.😲

And yes, nettles are the bane of my life here. The place was covered in them (& thistles) when I arrived, and they are continually trying to make a comeback. If they are left for a year, they are covering much bigger areas the following year.😡
PasTor clears them, but both hard to get and silly expensive these days.
 

Hilly

Member
Mcpa now reseed after hayllafe
Silage cutting today in a field that was infested with docks last year. The wheel marks in the grass are from the spraying some one month ago. Not a weed of any kind in sight and hopefully no need to repeat within five years

View attachment 1034444
Back to the mowing now after a short break to change my fluids.

Edit. Not to oneself, it’s ‘break’ not ‘brake’ you silly boy! Corrected now.
looks fantastic that .
 
Yes, Trust and Hurler are both approved for knapsack or boom sprayer.
I was trying to avoid the cost of Grazon, etc.;)

If you are going to go with thrust + hurler mix I wouldn't think there would be much difference in activity between it and grazon. I wasn't aware fluroxypyr was approved for knapsack use as I was given to understand it is hard on the eyes if they contact it.

The dose rate per plant from a knapsack is far greater than any boom sprayer anyway so you should get good results. I've never known anyone mess with using adjuvants in a knapsack so that is way outside any experience I have. I did used to use solarplus on grassland a lot with excellent results though. Best thing for knapsacks is using the marker dye so you know what has been sprayed and what has not.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
looks fantastic that .
If it wilts well tomorrow it should make great silage. Trouble is that to make sure that it’s all in the clamp by Monday night, I’ll need to get about 20 acres in tomorrow night, including that field that will get only about 26 hours of wilt. It has been tedded this evening as has all but the last 20 acres cut this evening. Depends on the dew tomorrow morning how soon those last acres can be tedded and the 20 acres that will need to be rowed up from 2pm tomorrow, as some of us line the pit walls with plastic sheet.

I had a contractor help me mow with a 5.5m combination. He said that it was a very dense heavy crop for the time of year and he had to cut one powershift ratio lower than usual. When I started mowing at 12pm the grass was sopping wet from yesterday’s rain. By 1pm it had dried out nicely. Need to get our skates on because rain is almost certain on Monday night. It may have to come in at around 25%DM when I would ideally like it nearer but not exceeding 30%DM.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
Can someone explain why some are cleared for knapsack, and some for boom, and some for both? Trying to decide how to attack a smallish field. Thanks
I think it is to do with the toxicity and danger it presents to the operator. On the other hand it may be down to the cost of licensing a product for such use relative to expected extra sales expected.
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
If you are going to go with thrust + hurler mix I wouldn't think there would be much difference in activity between it and grazon. I wasn't aware fluroxypyr was approved for knapsack use as I was given to understand it is hard on the eyes if they contact it.

The dose rate per plant from a knapsack is far greater than any boom sprayer anyway so you should get good results. I've never known anyone mess with using adjuvants in a knapsack so that is way outside any experience I have. I did used to use solarplus on grassland a lot with excellent results though. Best thing for knapsacks is using the marker dye so you know what has been sprayed and what has not.
Never heard of the marker dye, where so younger that from ? Sounds a good idea, I have some stubborn patches of nettles to do this time.
 

wdah/him

Member
Location
tyrone
Hope this is the right thread. These weeds are in an August reseed from last year. Few docks but not enough the worry about what are they and how best to treat. It will be over seeded after first cut mid May early June. Has been grazed by sheep late last year and late this year. Needs some lime but will be August before that happens I would think as it is heavy ground. Will get a top up of fertilizer next week as I thought it a bit cold when I
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gave it the 1.25 bag of 201010. It I will be topped up with 24.6.12 about 1.5bags acres
 

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Hope this is the right thread. These weeds are in an August reseed from last year. Few docks but not enough the worry about what are they and how best to treat. It will be over seeded after first cut mid May early June. Has been grazed by sheep late last year and late this year. Needs some lime but will be August before that happens I would think as it is heavy ground. Will get a top up of fertilizer next week as I thought it a bit cold when IView attachment 1034617View attachment 1034616View attachment 1034617 gave it the 1.25 bag of 201010. It I will be topped up with 24.6.12 about 1.5bags acres

That wanted spraying last autumn when it was newly emerged.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

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