Check your fields now and be prepared to spray fields before soils freeze up. On closer examination we're seeing numerous small mustard rosettes or short grass seedlings of downy brome in some fields. This density and robust start suggests heavy weed growth next spring. If left uncontrolled they could grow rapidly, reducing alfalfa yield, thinning stands, and lowering forage quality.

Three herbicides which can be used now are Sencor, Sinbar, and Velpar. All three do an excellent job of controlling pennycress, mustards, and downy brome. While you can wait until next spring to treat these weeds, the problem is that spring spraying must be done before alfalfa greens up to avoid injuring alfalfa. Usually, there are only a few days in spring where alfalfa is dormant, weeds are actively growing, and it's not too wet or windy to make an application. Most of the time, fields don't get sprayed at all or they get sprayed late and alfalfa is injured.

Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist

Copyright 2006 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.

Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln does not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.