Melvin Poldrack says he gets the best bang for his weed control buck by spraying weeds when they are small instead of mowing, as do many beef producers he knows.

“We spray the weeds when they are too little to reach with a shredder. This way, we get them before they start robbing moisture and nutrients from the grass,” Poldrack says. He owns and operates Poldrack Grain and Cattle Co. at Coupland, Texas, with his son, Terry and grandson, Hunter.

Jeff Ball, agronomist with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla., agrees this is a sound strategy.

“When weeds are big enough to mow late in the growing season, there is no chance for optimum weed control,’ Ball says. “Eliminating weed competition for nutrients and moisture in the spring is critical, since over 60% of the summer’s forage is produced from May through June.

“Mowing does not stop weed competition through the spring and will not stop weeds from producing seeds,” Ball adds. "Even after being mowed, the cut plant can still finish its life cycle and produce viable seed. Mowing does nothing to enhance forage production. Weed competition has already done its damage, and by late June a majority of pasture weeds are mature.”

Mowing also tops the valuable forage, taking the most nutritious portion of the plant, Ball says.

“Cutting grass close to the ground and removing more than 50% of the top growth reduces its ability to sustain itself,” explains Ron Leps, a forage management consultant in Georgetown, Texas.

“Through the process of photosynthesis, plants use energy from sunlight to manufacture carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. These carbohydrates are used as food by plants for maintenance and growth. Anything that is done to increase photosynthesis will improve quantity and quality of forage. Mowed and overgrazed grasses simply cannot remain healthy, vigorous and productive.”

Leps adds that beef producers often don’t see the effects of mowing and overgrazing the first year it occurs. Loss in forage production is usually noticeable two or three growing seasons later.

Melvin Poldrack adds that he likes the lower maintenance costs of spraying vs. mowing.

“When we used shredders we constantly had to replace drive shafts and PTOs,” Poldrack says. “The tractor drivers would forget to raise the mower when crossing terraces or forget to disengage the PTO before raising the wings. They would hit stumps and anything else that happened to be in their path.”

In addition, a sprayer can be pulled with a smaller tractor, generating lower costs for fuel.

“We like the flexibility offered by spraying,” continues Poldrack. “When we spray pastures, we are able to spray the fence lines at the same time. That is hard to do with a shredder. When grasshoppers are a problem, we can add Dimilin to the spray mixture and control weeds and grasshoppers at the same time.”

Fears owns RJ Consultant Services and writes from Georgetown, Texas.