# Johnson grass opinion



## Interested (Jul 10, 2011)

I think Johnson grass would make good hay ruffage for cattle in the winter. I know it is kinda like Rye and it is hard to control but I have a few questions. Feel free to voice your opinion and answer these questions.

Is it tall. Is it valueable. Is it worth the time. How is the mkt for it. How many buyers would I have. What quantity would I need.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

According to two studies I read from the Purdue University (43. JOHNSONGRASS) , and University of Missouri (http://extension.missouri.edu/jasper/agriculture/ag_news/07_07.pdf), Johnson grass produces cyanide when under stress from grazing or drought.

"The young shoots are the most dangerous, and when wilted, trampled, herbicide treated or frost damaged, a great deal of free cyanide is liberated in the leaves. Upon ingestion, the animals quickly develop signs related to cyanide poisoning. Mature plants have much lower toxicity, and well-cured hay is relatively safe for consumption. " Purdue

It can also cause nitrate poisoning: "Johnsongrass, like other plant species, can accumulate toxic levels of nitrates, depending on fertilization practices." Univ. of Mo.

I will not allow it on my property!!!

Ralph


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Ralph is correct. However, I see Johnsongrass bales for sale every year, so somebody is making them and I expect they get bought and fed. I had no problems selling the rolled up weeds/grass bales when I cleaned up a field earlier this year. Like Ralph though, I don't want the nasty stuff on my property. It is a prolific seed producer and hard to get rid of.


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## tnwalkingred (Jun 8, 2010)

I have a invasion on Johnson grass in my newly planted Orchard grass field. What is you guys best suggestions to get rid of it? Is it use Gly-4 and a wick bar????? Will Maverick work in a Orchard grass field???? Any help would be appreciated.

Kyle


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Kyle,

I have no knowledge whatsoever about orchardgrass, but unfortunately I do know JG pretty well. I checked the Maverick label and Orchardgrass isn't mentioned, I've only used it in Bermuda and Bahia. It yellows the grass and kills the JG, but the grass recovers. Maverick is expensive and I probably have about 10 acres worth that I'm hording. My rules of thumb when dealing with JG are:

1. Get it in the spring. It greens up sooner here than the Bermuda so you can either spray the field with Glypho or spot spray the JG. If you can get into the field.

2. Once the grass starts growing, the JG will typically be much higher. I'll use a wick wiper with Glypho, if they are reasonably concentrated. if it's just a few, I'll spot spray them with Glypho and let the grass grow back.

3. After you've started cutting it grows at about the same rate as the grass. I'll use Maverick as a spot spray then. I've only used Maverick on a field when I took it over and it was infested. It cost a bunch, but it worked.

If it ever goes to seed, it seems the seeds live forever or the deer bring them in. It's the most persistent weed I know of. Good Luck!


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## charlesmontgomery (Jun 4, 2011)

JG can make good hay, with 100 lbs/A of actual N and cutting at 5 weeks I can get 14% protein. Let it go longer than that and you have too much stem, which is hard to dry (unless you have a crimper) and the cows aint gonna eat them stalks anyway


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

tnwalkingred said:


> I have a invasion on Johnson grass in my newly planted Orchard grass field.


I let it grow about a foot taller than the surrounding grass, then swipe it with a 50% rate of generic roundup. Too much glyphosate kills the top part of the plant but not the root system. Then it just gets PO'd and comes back stronger.

Ralph


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## tnwalkingred (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'll try to the wick bar option using a 50/50 mixture of Gly-4 and water.Do they sell wick bars or are they easy to make?

Kyle


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

rjmoses said:


> I let it grow about a foot taller than the surrounding grass, then swipe it with a 50% rate of generic roundup. Too much glyphosate kills the top part of the plant but not the root system. Then it just gets PO'd and comes back stronger.


Kyle, I think Ralph is correct, but you need to read the label of whatever you are using. I always use Eraiser 'cause I can get it conveniently and don't need it very often. According to the label Rate Tables I can burn pretty much everything at 48 oz per acre, however JG only requires 24 oz per acre. That happens to match Ralph's 50% rule. I don't know however, if that also applies to other generic brands or to Roundup itself.

The other consideration is the application rate. My sprayer has both boomless and boom. If I don't have any wind I'll use the boomless because I get more coverage. The boomless puts out liquid at around 20 gal. per acre, where the boom (depending on the nozzles I use) puts out around 10-15. That changes the amount of Eraiser I need in the tank.

The wick wiper and/or spot spraying is a whole different equation because now you're probably not covering an acre. The Eraiser label says:

_"For burndown of Johnsongrass, apply 1 pint of this product in 3 to 10 gallons of water per acre before the plants reach a height of 12 inches. For this use, allow at least 3 days after treatment before. Mowing or disturbing treated vegetaiton.

Spot treatment (partial control or suppression) - Apply a 1 percent solution of this product when Johnsongrass is 12 to 18 inches in height. Coveage should be uniform and complete."_

The part about _"1 pint of this product in 3 to 10 gallons of water"_ gives you a concentration of roughly between 4% & 1%. The rest of the lable says you can burn down everything with 2%. I usually mix a 3% solution for the wick wiper and it kills the JG. I can only assume that because I'm only hitting part of the plant, the higher percentage solution works. Again, read the label and see what works.

Sorry for the dissertation, but I'm a typical engineer who goes crazy trying to figure out the labels chemical companies and their damn lawyers put on products.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

tnwalkingred said:


> Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'll try to the wick bar option using a 50/50 mixture of Gly-4 and water.Do they sell wick bars or are they easy to make?


Kyle, here's where I got mine: Weed Thief and String Wing Applicator

I use two of them on a bar that I clamp to the FEL.


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## midniteplowboyy (Jul 1, 2010)

Weed Wipers I got one of there 30' kits back in 96, it works much better than the rope wipers with air compressor that we used before to me, since the foam holds so much more chemical without the drips. It seemed like it got twice the kill with 1/4 the headache.

The ropes are ok, but you had to be on your game controlling the air, as application rates vary through the field, the ropes dont hold enough roundup and if you hit a patch of thick johnson grass it wipes all the chemical off before you get to the other side or on the clean end of the field you have to much and it wants to drip.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

[quote name='Mike120;25140Sorry for the dissertation' date=' but I'm a typical engineer who goes crazy trying to figure out the labels chemical companies and their damn lawyers put on products.[/QUOTE']

I would love to challenge a judge or lawyer to read AND understand some of these doggone herbicide labels. I'd be willing to bet that they would be "in violation of Federal law". What a frigging cop out!

Ralph


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

midniteplowboyy said:


> Weed Wipers I got one of there 30' kits back in 96...


Thanks for that link. I fabricated a rope wick applicator several years ago, but I can see how the foam could put more herbicide on the weeds than the rope. I need to check into that.


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