Good pastureland doesn’t just happen. A productive pasture or rangeland takes some effort. However, that effort can result in better fed livestock plus healthier land that can stand up to environmental challenges.
“Whether you are a farmer growing a crop or a rancher growing a pasture, your land is your biggest investment,” says Mark Versluys, Specialties Business Leader, Corteva Agriscience. “When you put together your Integrated Pasture Management program to make that land more productive, you need to know there isn’t one silver bullet to get the land where you want it to be. However, a well thought out program will result in more and better grass.”
Grass that is dense and free of competition from weeds and shrubs allows producers to put more livestock in the field to allow animals to spend more time eating and less time wandering. A high-quality pasture means animals can graze longer in the fall and be put out earlier in the spring for a higher weaning weight.
Plan it out
There is a high cost to doing nothing when it comes to pasture and rangeland. Weeds, brush and trees may start as perimeter concerns but can quickly spread throughout the field. Green doesn’t necessarily mean grass, so producers need to be aware of what they are dealing with.
The first step to developing productive pastures is a benefit-focused Integrated Pasture Management (IPM) plan.
“An IPM program should be well thought out before executing on that plan,” says Versluys. “Everything goes back to soil health, so that is a good starting place. Your grazing plan may be as simple as moving paddocks or as complex as installing electric fencing to move your animals. Then you need to dovetail in fertility management plus broadleaf weed and shrub management using a herbicide to get the pasture to do what you need it to do.”
Mechanical management works well with problematic trees, but widespread mechanical management of weeds and brush is more time intensive than a herbicide application. In addition, breaking up the permanent pasture and reseeding it is expensive and can take years before a new field is ready to graze.
Use the right tool
Managing weeds and brush with the use of a properly timed herbicide application is the most cost-effective way to clean up your pasture or rangeland. Producers in Western Canada have several options, depending on the weed or brush species and pressure they face.
“Corteva has spent decades in research and development to address the needs of producers when it comes to invasive weed and brush issues in pastures and rangeland,” says Versluys. “We introduced a new active in 2024 and we continue to have a very robust R&D program that has resulted in a differentiated portfolio to address the various needs producers have.”
Corteva recently launched Restore™ NXT herbicide with Rinskor™ active, which offers selective control of invasive broadleaf weeds at lower application rates. This joins Grazon™ XC herbicide, the timeless standard for producers to control both tree and broadleaf weeds in pastures. Reclaim™ II herbicide provides extended control of brush and broadleaf weeds, while Restore™ II is a systemic post-emergent herbicide that is tough on a broad spectrum of broadleaf weeds and invasive species in pastures.
Herbicides should be applied after the majority of broadleaf weeds have emerged and are actively growing, but prior to flower, usually between mid-May to mid-July. Brush species application timing is typically early June to mid-July, prior to the development of the waxy cuticle on the leaf surface. Corteva herbicides are absorbed by the leaves and roots, with plant growth stopping within 24 to 48 hours following treatment. Within one to two months, problematic weeds and brush will be gone while still preserving native grasses.
Managing pasture and rangeland is a long-term solution that, in addition to improving herd health and productivity, can help with the sustainability of land for generations to come.
For more on Corteva’s Range & Pasture solutions, and on the benefits of an IPM plan, visit: RangeAndPasture.corteva.ca
