Find tips from UF/IFAS for controlling smutgrass in your pasture as part of your weed management program.
According to a UF/IFAS blog, smutgrass is an invasive grass that is “the second most problematic weed in perennial pastures in Florida.” It’s unpalatable to livestock, though cattle do graze on it occasionally. Additional details shared by the article maintain that “Seed production occurs throughout the growing season, and new seedheads are produced shortly after mowing. The seeds, which are red to orange in color, remain attached to seedheads for some time after maturing and are spread by adhering to livestock and machinery or by movement via water and wind.” See the recommendations for herbicides to control smutgrass.
Controlling Smutgrass
The article recommends these different herbicides to control smutgrass:
Glyphosate (Roundup)
Hexazinone (Velpar, Tide Hexazinone, Velossa): “Velpar needs better control. Velpar required rainfall of 1/2-inch minimum to 2-inch max within two weeks of application. For spot application of Velpar, add 4.73 ml Velpar per gallon of water; apply six oz of this mixture per tussock. This amount of water in spot applications will reduce control failures due to a lack of water activation.”
“Another formulation of Hexazinone (Pronone Power Pellets) is now labeled for spot treatment; it is a tablet that can be used as a spot application in fields with less than 25% smutgrass. This pellet is placed in the center of the smutgrass tussock; only a light dew is required to activate the Hexazinone. Successful control has been shown with as little as ¼ of a tablet per tussock.”
Follow herbicide labels and get more information from these publications:
- Smutgrass Control in Perennial Grass Pastures – http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa261
- Weed Management in Pastures and Rangeland – http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wg006
- Forage Planting and Establishment Methods on Prepared Seedbed – http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag107
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions -or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.
