(this is why land-grant universities con- ate a non-traditional product. north central U.S. crop production; 5) ref-
Country
duct field research). If the individual sell- 5. University research and Extension erence source available; and 6) author
ing you the product is also the individual soil fertility specialists, including those at permission. These are also good guide-
Crossroads conducting the research, be wary. OSU, in the Corn Belt maintain a data- lines for a producer to consider for legiti-
4. Before completely adopting an alter- base on non-traditional ag products. The macy of a non-traditional product. The
Matt
native product to be used on the entire criteria to be included in the database fol- Web site is located at extension.agron.ias-
Reese
farm, evaluate the product on a limited lows these guidelines: 1) at least two site- tate.edu/compendium/index.aspx.
basis and make simple comparisons to cur- years of research, with multiple crops or In the sea of farm miracle products out
assistant rent practices. Contact the county varieties substituting for a site-year; 2) there, these tips may help farmers reel in
editor
Extension agriculture educator for help in authors listed; 3) replicated with statisti- the products that really do work and keep
setting up an on-farm experiment to evalu- cal analysis; 4) reasonably applicable to them from getting caught going fishing.
I was working late one night with the
television on in the background when
an infomercial came on that piqued my
springtime fishing interest. It has been a
long cold winter and with spring finally
here, the miracle fishing bait they were
advertising sounded pretty good —
only $19.95 for an incredible 101-lure
super package.
I was already hoping for the chance to
Drop the Hammer on Pasture Thistles
get out and do a little fishing in the warm
spring sun, and when armed with this
flailing minnow bait that appeals to the
Warmth, budding trees, new grass spears — all telltale thistles in areas previously unreachable. Milestone has no
striking instincts of monster bass, any fish- signs of spring. Unfortunately, so are thistles. Many of grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock,
ing outing would surely be enhanced.
us know firsthand how those little rosettes grow quickly including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating
Though tempted, I remained strong as
fisherman after fisherman sung the praises
into a towering problem that can turn prime grazing mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. However, label
of this miracle lure and footage of fish that
acres into wasteland. But with the help of Milestone
®
precautions do apply to forage treated with Milestone
®

could capsize a small rowboat rolled across herbicide, we can reclaim more acres than ever from herbicide and to manure from animals that have consumed
the screen. With each miraculous claim, I
all kinds of biennial pasture thistles — including musk, treated forage within the last three days. Consult the label
remained skeptical. If these things really
worked that well, wouldn’t everyone have
bull, plumeless and Scotch — and even their perennial for full details. And Milestone is not a federally
them already?
cousin, Canada thistle. Restricted Use Pesticide, so you won’t need a license
There are not too many endeavors that Biennial thistle rosettes and regrowth from to purchase or apply it.
1
Controlling thistles early helps
have more miracle-gadgets than fishing,
perennial Canada thistle often are among the first pasture grasses to establish a thicker, more robust cover,
though agriculture would be a likely can-
didate. From equipment to seeds, there is
plants to appear and always are primed and ready to which can prevent future infestations, boost forage
certainly no shortage of farm wonder-giz-
jump to attention when temperatures rise. Leave these production and improve property values.
mos that offer a “guaranteed” way to one- opportunistic invaders to their own devices and you’ll For more information about spring treatments or
up your neighbor.
have a prickly wall of purple blocking grass production Milestone herbicide, contact your local ag-chem dealer,
“Many products are frequently market-
ed as the latest and greatest technology
and preventing your herd from utilizing valuable Dow AgroSciences sales representative or county weed
that will improve agronomic productivity
grazing acres. Grasslands weakened by dry conditions department, or visit www.MilestoneHerbicide.com.
of all major crops in Ohio. The question is or overgrazing are particularly vulnerable to infestations.
which ones are legitimate and which ones
While dense, healthy grass stands help suppress thistles,
are wastes of money?” wrote Ohio State
University Extension soil fertility special-
those areas aren’t immune. Even relatively light
ists Edwin Lentz and Robert Mullen in a
infestations can have a major impact on forage
1
recent CORN Newsletter. utilization and pasture carrying capacities.
With regard to non-traditional fertilizer
Milestone brings the most advanced chemistry
products (which may be tempting this year
due to the uncertain commercial fertilizer
available to broadleaf weed control, offering superior
3
2
prices) they offered a few tips for evalua-
thistle control at low use rates. Applied at just 3 to
tion. Here they are: 4 fluid ounces per acre (5 to 7 fluid ounces per acre
1. If it sounds too good to be true, it
for Canada thistle) — no 2,4-D required — Milestone
probably is. This old adage is almost
4
always true.
provides excellent postemergence control of thistles and
2. Take a lesson from the first law of
residual activity to keep your grazing acres clean all
thermodynamics (that states that energy season long. Plus, it offers superior control of bolted
can neither be created nor destroyed — it
thistles, giving you a wider application window. That
simply changes form). In our case, nutri-
ents can neither be created nor destroyed,
extra time can come in handy when spring work or
they can only be shuttled between different
weather delays pasture treatments until later in the
pools. So if a product states that applica- season. But, of course, the earlier you treat, the better
1 Paige Gill s pmgill@dow.comsAnn Arbor, MIs(743) 761-1323
tion of this material is equal to 50 pounds
you can reap the benefits this season.
2 John Beckwith s jcbeckwith@dow.coms Kent, OHs(330) 673-8041
of phosphorus per acre, and the material
fertilizer analysis (required on the bag by
Because you can apply it up to the water’s edge
3 Thomas Begg s tebegg@dow.comsFindlay, OHs(419) 365-7721
law) has 20% phosphorus and the applica-
along creeks, streams and stock ponds, Milestone stops 4 Scott Pringnitz s sdpringnitz@dow.comsFairfield, OH s(513) 858-1734
tion rate is not 250 pounds per acre, you
are not supplying the same amount of
nutrients at a rate of 50 pounds per acre.
The maximum efficiency of any system is
100%, so how can this product magically
supply more than is being applied?
3. Look for un-biased research results.
1
Some states require an individual be licensed if involved in the recommendation, handling or application of any pesticide. Consult your local Extension office for information regarding licensing requirements.
Many products are vetted through land- ®
Trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC
grant universities to determine their poten-
Milestone is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state.
tial usefulness. Just because a product
Always read and follow label directions.
works at some remote location does not
www.RangeAndPasture.com
necessarily mean it will work on your farm
Ohio’s Country Journal • May 2009 •Crops 17
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