Is there any alternative to herbicide burndown or tillage for established pasture plot?

momatt

5 year old buck +
I'd like to start doing the "buffalo system" in my established cool season pastures full of fescue brome and orchard grass. Is there anything I can drill into closely mowed sod that will smother it? I'd like to avoid glyphosate if I can but I'm thinking that isn't really practical. Tillage in my rocky thin soil is not an option.
 
Matt,

You won't be able to smother fescue, or most any CSG for that matter. Believe me, I've tried. The established plant always beats out the seed. Fescue also has allelopathic qualities that prohibit competition as well.

Also not a fan of herbicide.. Being slightly north of you (central MO) I was fortunate enough that a bottom plow cleaned it up easily, but my better soils allowed it.

FWIW, Gly does a pretty poor job on fescue. You have to drop a bomb on it, heavy dose.. Second dose is almost always required. In your situation, if you're open to other herbicides - I'd just use Clethodim. Being a selective herbicide, it will target the grasses only. You'll need to wait when the CSG are actively growing, but before the WSG are growing if you just want to eliminate the Brome, Fescue, etc. Wait until it's slightly warmer for the Clethodim to have a greater effect, it doesn't work as well in the cold. Mid to late April may be good timing for you.

Lastly, if you don't have a means to spray, you could call your local MFA or Ag Services to see if they'll spray for you.
 
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My old farm was just south of Fulton off NN. I used a bottom plow initially. I miss that deep soil! Is Cleth available at farm stores or do you have to have an applicators license in MO? I like the ide of not killing off my clovers and whatever other forbes might be there.
 
No applicator license necessary. Can get at most any farm store.. Lots of trade names also.. Arrest, Arrow, Grassout, etc..

Need crop oil, check the label. Yep, won't do a thing to clovers or broadleaves.
 
If you go the Cleth route make sure to use the crop oil for surficant Or results may not be very good.
 
Yes - Apply Clethodim at 16oz/acre mixed with Crop Oil at 1 qt/acre. Personally, I would just use Glyphosate to nuke it all for planting a cover crop. Apply when plants are actively growing when ambient temps are 60-65 degrees. Gly does nothing when it hits the soil - it only kills the actively growing plants.

If I were treating Alfalfa or Clovers in a perennial plot which I wanted to maintain grass-free, then yes, I would apply Cleth & Crop Oil, but for a burn down prior to planting a cover crop my choice would be Gly. Tillage is completely out of the question for me. I went 100% no-till 7 years ago and won't be turning dirt any time soon. This is right in line with the Buffalo System you are seeking.
 
With the price of Gly this year, I would make sure I get it right the first time even if it meant putting out “extra”. I would not want to have to do it twice.
 
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