Why spend money on sowing a new grass ley this spring and then leave it to fend for itself? That's the question grassland farmers should ask themselves, says Neil Matson of Advanta Seeds.
"We know it costs £120-£140/acre to re-seed grassland. That makes it vital to protect your investment and establish a productive sward that has high value as a food production area for milk or meat."
Chickweed seriously infects around 66% of new leys and is the most aggressive of annual weeds that competes competitively with grass in a new ley. It can also cause problems of palatability and digestive upsets in ruminants.
"Grass is a crop that should be a pure stand of grass. If you grow cereals, maize or wholecrop wheat, you wouldn't dream of not spraying those fields to get rid of problem weeds, so why not treat grass in the same way?" says Mr Matson.
"A sward's productivity can drop down to only 50% of its full potential within three years if weeds are not controlled. If you do not control weeds in the first year you will struggle to get the best out of the pasture."
There is no better time to get on top of weeds while the new-sown ley is still at the early stage of production, confirms Vaughn Stansfield, agronomist with Dow AgroSciences.
At that point weeds are small with tiny root systems but are actively growing. Seedling docks are a prime example. Leaving them means it is much harder to control them in later years when the root mass has developed extensively.
Control the problem annual and perennial weeds by using a broad-spectrum herbicide, such as Pastor, which is safe to grass. Take weeds out early and you will allow the sward to thicken up and become dense and stay productive for longer.
