Weeds in Newly Seeded Pasture Grass and Alfalfa Hay Field

[bobm6996]

We purchased 15 acres last fall (Indiana), the ground was worked up and 10 acres seeded for hay production (alfalfa) and the remaining was seeded for pasture. We seeded oats to assist in getting the hay and pasture started, which will be cut and round baled when ready by a friend who will feed it to cattle.

I am noticing weeds coming up in one area (what I call horse weed, will have to find the real name of it). Very new to the haying operation and wandering if I need to try and do something now about the weeds now, after the oats have been cut and baled, just not sure what we should do and when. There will eventually be horses on the pasture portion, but not until the spring of next year at the earliest, want to keep them off as long as we can to get well established. Hoping to get one cutting from the alfalfa this year, fingers crossed, it is coming up quite well.

Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[super55]

My advice would be to pull a few of the weeds and take them to your local conservation district or a local farm co-op/seed supplier with a description of what is planted in your pasture and alfalfa field.

Trying to recommend what type of herbicide control the weed without proper identification is a recipe for disaster. Whether it is a fescue or a broadleaf is nearly impossible to control with an oats and alfalfa stand because virtually all herbicides will injure either one crop or the other so that really limits your control method until post oat harvest. You might want to wait until next year and see what the stand look likes because even though alfalfa is slow to establish once it takes hold it is a pretty tough crop and competes well with weeds and may choke them out.

Heres a link on weed control for hay crops to kind of give you some idea. There's a ton of them out there just do a google search: Weed control pasture PDF and you should end up with some more recommendations.
http://alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/+symposium/proceedings/2006/06-95.pdf

You're in pretty big ag country don't be afraid to ask some of the local farmers or hayers what they are doing to control them. Most likely they have either dealt with the same or similar issue.