Pasture weed management will be the topic of the March 5 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Ecosystem Science and Management Unit natural resources webinar.
The free webinar is part of the Texas Range Webinar Series, scheduled the first Thursday of each month from noon to 1 p.m., said Pete Flores, AgriLife Extension webinar coordinator in Corpus Christi.
Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension forage specialist, Overton, will be the presenter.
“A common pasture management problem most livestock producers face is weed and brush infestation,” Corriher-Olson said. “Weed species effectively compete with more desirable forage species for sunlight, moisture and soil nutrients.”
She said if enough weeds are present in a pasture, then the carrying capacity will decrease. Also, they reduce the forage’s nutritive value and increase input costs of the production system, thus reducing profitability or increasing losses.
“The best strategy is to be proactive,” Corriher-Olson said. “Scout pastures early in the growing season, then determine the level of infestation and whether weed control will be required.”
This webinar will discuss the best management strategies for tackling herbaceous and woody weed species in pastures and hay meadows.
One Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education unit in integrated pest management will be offered, Flores said. Participants seeking CEUs must pay a $10 fee online, but all others can attend for free.
For more information on the webinars, contact Flores at pflores@ag.tamu.edu.
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