Food Plots and RM-43

[Troubles Trees]

Hey guys, I have a friend that is prepping to break ground on a 3/4 acre food plot on his property and I have no experience with food plots to give him advice. Under someone's advice he has sprayed this area with RM-43 (which contains Imazapyr) a few times and followed the directions for mixing. He was going to spray one more time this week and start breaking ground next week or so. He was just reading the fine print on the label and saw that it states in so many words "de-neutralizes the soil and prevents plant growth for up to a year". He is planting a mixture of broadleafs and Legumes but I don't have the particulars on exactly what until he gets home if that is relevant.
He just wants to know if RM-43 will kill what he is planting to grow? Is he still ok to plant?

I did invite him here, hes just waiting on approval.

 

[bjseiler]

No expert but I think he shouldn't waste the money planting. rm-43 is for things like my electric fence line around my goats or the gravel in our back patio. You spray because you want to kill for a long long time. It is definitely not like Roundup where you spray and can seed immediately.

 

[Troubles Trees]

No expert but I think he shouldn't waste the money planting. rm-43 is for things like my electric fence line around my goats or the gravel in our back patio. You spray because you want to kill for a long long time. It is definitely not like Roundup where you spray and can seed immediately.

That is exactly what he was afraid of, and also why I told him to join this group. I don't have much experience beyond spraying Roundup at my house, I have never done food plots largely due to the lack of equipment and resources. I am also not one to give advice on something I personally haven't dealt with and don't directly know the answer.
This group is such a wealth of information on so many topics that I feel anyone interested in habitat work should join. I am on a few other groups and there are too many slanderous comments and people giving advice that shouldn't be just to hear themselves talk. That doesn't happen here and I am thankful for that aspect.

 

[yoderjac]

Well...It is a crap shoot. Glyphosate is a contact herbicide without residual ground effect. So, plants have to be green and actively growing for it to work. Imazapyr is the ingredient in RM43 that has the lasting effect. The concentration in RM43 is a lot lower than in some other products. So, if he waits until fall, and happens to be lucky in the crop he chooses, he may be ok. But, it would be a crap shoot. Both are non-selective herbicides, but that is in a general sense. There are always some kinds of plants that will be resistant to any particular herbicide.

If it were me, I would wait until next spring to invest in planting. I would mow the dead vegetation so it can desiccate. This fall, when evenings are started to get cool, I'd scratch up the top inch of soil. There may be some native forbs that germinate for fall, but depending on how much Imazapyr was applied, he may get nothing. Don't worry.

The tough part will be to get him to wait. I'd wait until next spring. I'd wait until the soil temp (not air temp) hits at least 70 degrees. Hopefully you will see weeds by then. Soil thermometers are cheap. You take the soil temp by pushing the probe an inch or two into the soil around 8:00 am. If you are seeing weeds, I'd spray with gly (not RM43) and plant buckwheat and at a high seeding rate. I'd just broadcast and cultipack. If you don't see weeds growing by the time your soil hit 70 degrees, I'd wait for 80 degrees.

Buckwheat will germinate at pretty low soil temps, but I find if you plant then, you get a stunted lethargic crop. The optimal soil temp for buckwheat to germinate is 80 degrees. In my area (zone 7a) you can plant buckwheat up until about the 4th of July. Probably later further north. Then, next fall, have him broadcast a perennial clover with a winter rye nurse crop. If he has a 3/4 acre field have him use 100 lbs of WR and 7 to 8 lbs of perennial clover.

Broadcast it while the Buckwheat is standing. Then cultipack. If he doesn't have a cultipacker, just mow the buckwheat so it falls on the seed. Running over the seed with ATV tires or tractor tires will press it into the soil like a cultipacker.

Good luck,

Jack

 

[Troubles Trees]

Well...It is a crap shoot. Glyphosate is a contact herbicide without residual ground effect. So, plants have to be green and actively growing for it to work. Imazapyr is the ingredient in RM43 that has the lasting effect. The concentration in RM43 is a lot lower than in some other products. So, if he waits until fall, and happens to be lucky in the crop he chooses, he may be ok. But, it would be a crap shoot. Both are non-selective herbicides, but that is in a general sense. There are always some kinds of plants that will be resistant to any particular herbicide.

If it were me, I would wait until next spring to invest in planting. I would mow the dead vegetation so it can desiccate. This fall, when evenings are started to get cool, I'd scratch up the top inch of soil. There may be some native forbs that germinate for fall, but depending on how much Imazapyr was applied, he may get nothing. Don't worry.

The tough part will be to get him to wait. I'd wait until next spring. I'd wait until the soil temp (not air temp) hits at least 70 degrees. Hopefully you will see weeds by then. Soil thermometers are cheap. You take the soil temp by pushing the probe an inch or two into the soil around 8:00 am. If you are seeing weeds, I'd spray with gly (not RM43) and plant buckwheat and at a high seeding rate. I'd just broadcast and cultipack. If you don't see weeds growing by the time your soil hit 70 degrees, I'd wait for 80 degrees.

Buckwheat will germinate at pretty low soil temps, but I find if you plant then, you get a stunted lethargic crop. The optimal soil temp for buckwheat to germinate is 80 degrees. In my area (zone 7a) you can plant buckwheat up until about the 4th of July. Probably later further north. Then, next fall, have him broadcast a perennial clover with a winter rye nurse crop. If he has a 3/4 acre field have him use 100 lbs of WR and 7 to 8 lbs of perennial clover.

Broadcast it while the Buckwheat is standing. Then cultipack. If he doesn't have a cultipacker, just mow the buckwheat so it falls on the seed. Running over the seed with ATV tires or tractor tires will press it into the soil like a cultipacker.

Good luck,

Jack

That is solid advice and exactly the answer I was hoping for Jack!! Thank you so very much bud!!
Sooooooo much useful knowledge here, I am thankful for each and every one of you guys!

 

[Jebadiah]

I would like to thank you all for your time and value all of your input.

With the small chance that I may still be able to get some seed to take, I'm going to go for it... If anything, it will provide some hard data if anyone is to make the same mistake that I have made in the future. A 1% chance is enough for me to take the dive and my expectations are in line. I do plan on moving to the "Ultimate No Till" method for next year...

Sincerely,

Jebadiah

 

[Charles Clear]

I made the exact mistake. Nothing grew. I got the RM43 given to me from a guy at work. The stuff works amazing, but prevents all future growth. If you plan on planting, do something cheap like Rye, wheat, or oats. The label says it will control all vegetative growth for up to 1 year, believe me, its not a far off statement.

 

[Bill]

Yeah for as cheap as it is I’d disk and throw on some cereal rye and oats. But ground clear is usually potent stuff.