Page 21 - MWC 4-21-2022s

NOVEL fescue in the spring with The Midwest Cattleman · April 21, 2022 · P21
continued from page 17 heavy rates of glyphosate,
planting a summer interim/
strongly recommends taking smother crop, and making a
measures to ensure complete second spray of glyphosate
K-31 elimination. in the fall before novel fescue
“It is imperative to prevent planting.
seed from the old K-31 crop “To further ensure that
to be made the year of estab- no K-31 survives, produc-
lishment,” he says. “In addi- ers could consider begin-
tion, it is important to under- ning the year in advance by
stand that one application of using both a cool-season in-
glyphosate will not kill all terim crop over the winter
old K-31 crowns completely. and a warm-season interim
If K-31 survives in the new crop in the summer,” he says.
novel stand, it can dominate “Cool-season smother crops
the novel over time, partly may be cereal rye, triticale or
because the cattle typical- wheat. Warm-season options
ly prefer to graze the novel may be sorghum-Sudan-
harder than the K-31.” grass, millet, teff or corn for
Schnakenberg recom- silage or grain.”
mends taking steps to fully This method is the most
eliminate K-31 crowns and expensive and time-consum- “Decades of research data
planting at the best time of ing approach. Another meth- planting, do a second glypho- have shown that the fescue
year. “In most cases, a late od is a “spray-wait-spray” ap- sate spray. Missouri research endophyte significantly re-
summer or early fall seeding proach, Schnakenberg says. has found that this method is duces on-farm profit in the
is the most ideal,” he says. “This involves not letting the also effective in eliminating cattle business,” Schnaken-
“This is usually during Sep- spring growth of K-31 go to any K-31 resurgence in the berg says. “Unfortunately,
tember, unless conditions are seed, then spraying it out new stand.” many producers do not rec-
too dry. We generally will not with a stout rate of glypho- Many will see the price of ognize the quiet siphoning off
recommend a novel seeding sate later in the spring, per- seed and think it’s just not of profits that happens as a
in the spring, but preparation haps even after some spring worth it, he says. “But ag result of the endophyte.”
must begin in the spring.” grazing or haying. Instead of economists out of Missou- Using novel fescue, com-
The most common prepa- planting a smother crop, the ri and North Carolina have bined with other measures,
ration method is a “spray- field is left fallow for the sum- studied this issue closely. can be a huge benefit for
smother-spray” approach mer. Then a couple weeks or They have concluded that if a farm operation, he says.
that involves killing the old less before later summer/fall you follow the spray-smoth-
er-spray steps, it might take “There are farms with wean-
up to five years to get a full ing-weight data on calves
payback from the process that show major improve-
in improved animal perfor- ments in gain after cattle
mance. If fields already need started grazing novel fes-
renovation and are unpro- cues.”
ductive, that amounts to Contact your nearest ex-
about a three-year payoff. If tension agronomy specialist
the plan is to only convert up if you have specific questions
to 25 percent of the farm to about converting to a novel
novels, the payoff can take fescue.
about two years.”
There are many factors
for producers to consider
when deciding if converting
to novel fescues is worth it.

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