Thistles continue to be a problem in Barry County as well as other parts of southwest Missouri according to Tim Schnakenberg, agronomy specialist, University of Missouri Extension.
The good news is that fall is a perfect time for landowners to start controlling thistles on their land while they are in the young and susceptible rosette state.
“Most rosettes that are seen now will become large plants by spring next year, leading to a release of as many as 10,000 seeds per plant if left uncontrolled,” said Schnakenberg.
Missouri law says all landowners have the responsibility to keep musk thistle plants from going to seed. Schnakenberg says this region also has plenty of bull and tall thistles that can be just as invasive, though not on the noxious weed list of Missouri.
Landowners should rely on a variety of approaches to control thistle.
The most effective ways of controlling this pest are by maintaining good fertility and grazing management techniques, chemical treatment when appropriate, mowing at proper stages of growth, biological control and digging.
“There are two good times to treat thistles. When it is in the rosette stage the plant is most susceptible to herbicides like 2,4-D and Milestone. To catch the plant in that stage, spray in September and October or in the spring during late March and early April on a warm day,” said Schnakenberg.
If the plant begins to bolt it is not as susceptible and may require stronger pesticides. Products such as Grazon and Tordon also work well because they can leave a residue in the soil to kill late-emerging rosettes.
Multiple passes with a brush hog earlier in the season can be effective if timed properly. The first pass should occur immediately after the terminal bloom flower head blooms. Since viable seed can be produced within seven to 10 days of the flower turning pink, waiting later can allow some seed to be produced and spread with the brush hog. Mowing earlier can lead to re-growth with the result of additional flower heads produced.
Most fields have had a few musk thistle flower head weevils this year that destroyed seeds in the head before they became viable. They won’t kill all thistles but they do have an impact.
“It will take all landowners working together to get a handle on this invasive weed. We will never completely eradicate them but with a persistent effort, the effect of thistles on property can be lessened,” said Schnakenberg.
For more information, including an MU Guide on the control of thistles, contact the University of Missouri Extension Center in Cassville at (417) 847-3161.
Ag News from Around the Country
Begin controlling musk thistles now
- Ag News from Around the Country
-
-
USDA announces CRP signup
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup, beginning on March 12 and ending on April 6.
-
Experts predict tighter cattle supplies in 2012
As cattle supplies remain tight and global demand intensifies profitability for cattle ranchers will continue in the year ahead, CattleFax analysts told cattlemen during remarks delivered at the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn.
-
Record farm profits could stumble in ‘12
Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, U.S. agriculture last year stood as a shining example of growth.
-
K-State teams up to cut E. coli risk
Seventeen Kansas State University scientists will join researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and other universities and government agencies in a coordinated, multi-pronged approach to improve the safety of beef.
-
Sjeklocha honored as Beef Cattle Veterinarian of the Year
Dave Sjeklocha, DVM, is the 2011 recipient of the Beef Cattle Veterinarian of the Year Award from the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
-
Interest in meat goats is on the rise
It seems everyone in the world eats goat meat but Americans. However, the preference for goat meat in the U.S. is rapidly increasing, as reflected in the record high prices of the last two years.
-
Gauging the farm’s financial success for 2011
The United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service has recently forecast 2011 total net farm income for US farms at $100.9 billion. This number represents an increase of 28 percent from the 2010 net farm income level. These nation-wide numbers are impressive, but they do not tell a farmer much about his or her farm’s individual financial success.
-
USDA grant helps veterans returning to farm
The USDA Risk Management Agency has awarded the Center for Rural Affairs, Farmer-Veteran Coalition, Nebraska AgrAbility Project and eight additional partner organizations with funding intended to introduce new veteran farmers and ranchers to various areas of agriculture, and thereby find solutions to the employment and economic challenges facing so many rural veterans.
-
Infiltration is the key when it rains
The moisture needs to infiltrate the soil first—and good infiltration is not necessarily a given
-
Commodity prices up after initial fall from Japan crisis
Commodity prices are back on the rise after they fell quickly in reaction to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan.
- More Ag News from Around the Country Headlines
-
USDA announces CRP signup
