Controlling weeds in pastures is key to keeping livestock safe, preserving grazing space, and maintaining a healthy, productive pasture.
Established grassland
Why control weeds in established grassland?
Controlling weeds in pastures is important because they:
- Compete with grass for space, light, nutrients and water
- Are unpalatable to stock
- Can be poisonous e.g. ragwort or buttercup
- Take over the pasture and left unchecked limit ability to graze
- Can spread to neighbouring properties
- Make pastures look messy, untidy and unkempt.
Herbicide control options
A grassland herbicide will not cure the underlying problems but will help renovate the pasture to a more productive level for a period of time.
Knapsack control works out more cost-effective if weed populations are below 5% (count number of docks and/or thistles in a 5m x 7m area – this number gives the % weed population).
Choose a product that will deliver a:
- High level of safety so grass growth is unaffected
- Grazing interval that is short so animals can return back to paddocks quickly
Products for use in established grassland
ProClova XL
ProClova XL is a new exciting clover-safe herbicide that kills key weeds in newly sown leys and established grassland.
Doxstar® Pro
Doxstar® Pro is a concentrated formulation controlling all species of docks in established grassland.
Envy™
Envy controls buttercups, dandelions, daisy and other perennial weeds in paddocks and low productivity grassland.
Forefront® T
Forefront® T delivers the highest levels of control of docks, thistles, nettles, ragwort, buttercups and dandelions.
Grazon® Pro
Grazon® Pro provides excellent control of broad-leaved dock, curled dock, creeping thistle, spear thistle and common nettle and also has an effect on a large range of other weeds.
Pastor® Trio
Pastor® Trio provides great versatility with use in established grassland, new sown leys, grass grown for seed, maize and cereals.
Thistlex®
Thistlex® is a very effective translocated product for both creeping and spear thistle. It is very safe to grass.
Common weeds in grassland
Nettles
Grass yield / grazing is lost mainly by competition from nettles for nutrients, light and moisture, but also from stock refusing to graze close to nettles.
Read more
Thistles
Thistles compete with grass for space, light, nutrients and water, and they are unpalatable to stock.
Read more
Ragwort
Ragwort poses a serious threat to livestock health, left unchecked it can quickly spread and reduce available grazing.
Read more
Buttercup
Creeping buttercup is often a severe problem in horse paddocks, where close grazing tends to open the sward.
Read moreLooking to establish a new ley?
Understand the importance of weed control as a part of the reseeding and new ley establishment process.
Read more