Less weeds = More beef

Brush and weeds may not look like a threat to your livestock and land, but they are. They start by robbing beneficial grasses of sunlight, soil nutrients and moisture. While some weeds are harmful to livestock, other invasive or noxious weeds will seemingly stop at nothing to take over your land.

Multiply this by thousands of weeds, and they collectively rob your cattle of significant nutrition, even to the point of lowering stocking rates and cattle weight gain. Ultimately, with less beef being produced, weeds rob you of income.

The Most Cost-Efficient Food Source For Cattle Is Forage Grown On Your Own Land. Every Untreated Acre Robs You Of Profit By Producing Less Desirable Forage.

Alligare recognizes that not all weeds are created equal. Some plants known as weeds to row crop farmers can be highly palatable and nutritious for cattle (although cattle do prefer grass over broadleaf weeds and brush). A rancher’s goal should be to eliminate poisonous plants and those with low palatability or nutritional value, along with weeds and brush that compete with beneficial forage plants.

By eliminating undesirable brush and weeds, your pasture will support more nutritious forage, provide a higher sustainable carrying capacity and reduce the need for purchased supplemental feed. In fact, recent studies show that for every pound of weeds removed from a native pasture, at least a pound of nutritious grass can be grown – with significantly more grass replacing the weeds on improved pastures.

The USDA’s annual Crop Values report (Feb 2021) recognized forages as the third most valuable U.S. crop in 2020, behind only corn and soybeans. Successful ranchers must maximize their forage production as a key input for beef production.

Four Simple Steps To Taming Brush And Broadleaf Weeds On Pastures:

• Identify the types of brush and weeds growing on your pastures to determine the best treatment options.
• Determine if individual plant treatment (IPT) or broadcast spraying is the best course of action.
• Consider if residual or non-residual control is needed. Use the treatment solutions and spraying guidelines as noted on label instructions.
• Spray at the proper time of year. Early season spraying provides the quickest return through an increased volume of grasses grown without weed or brush competition. However, some brush species are best controlled with fall applications.