# Johnson Grass



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Those are two very foul words here in the Southland. In my travels in the North and Mid-West I notice that that stuff is very non- discriminatory. It likes many of our states. How do you deal with this scourge in your 2nd and later cuttings of forage? Seems short of ground sterilization(Sahara etc.) that it cannot be killed, only controlled(round-up etc.)
Thoughts??









Regards, Mike


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Mike, I like many others have to rely on Roundup for established stands. I use a wick type applicator which is tractor mounted to take care of it. I am also looking at the WEEDKILLER that does the same thing except it is a pull behind. Good Luck. Been fightin it for 20 years. Mike


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## JDSafeman (May 10, 2010)

One man's trash....

Around here (North Texas) Johnson Grass is a common hay crop. In the right fields you can get 4 cuttings a year. Makes great cow hay.

However, I don't want it in my hay fields either.

So to answer your question, Roundup in a wick applicator will give very good results.
My first application gave a 90 percent kill. Now I just spot treat the rest as it shows its ugly little head.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I spray Maverick (Monsanto) if there is a lot. It's a bit pricy but it works. Otherwise I just use a wick wiper with Roundup.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

If you are in say "new ground" that has a heavy infestation of Johnson grass, what % will come back with Maverick if one was to spray during the boot stage of growth?
Regards, Mike


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

JDSafeman said:


> One man's trash....
> 
> Around here (North Texas) Johnson Grass is a common hay crop. In the right fields you can get 4 cuttings a year. Makes great cow hay.


I heard a report out of Purdue University that Johnsongrass will produce cyanide toxicity when under stress due to drought, trampling, cutting or frost.

Here's a couple of links for reference:

43. JOHNSONGRASS

Information about johnsongrass - Sorghum halepense

Johnsongrass, drought and nitrate toxicity Business Claremore Daily Progress

This appears to be some real nasty stuff under certain conditions. I try to stamp it out immediately whenever I see it. It keeps coming back because the road district mows the banks and spreads the seed all over hell-and-creation.

Ralph


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

VOL said:


> If you are in say "new ground" that has a heavy infestation of Johnson grass, what % will come back with Maverick if one was to spray during the boot stage of growth?
> Regards, Mike


My experience is that if you get good coverage you can pretty much get it all. Yellows the other grass but it comes back. However, if it's been there a while you're liable to have seed that could come back later. That's where the wick wiper comes in handy. The other approach would be to spray roundup in the spring as it greens up first. I've never tried that, but my neighbor did this spring and had good results.


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## OkhayBallr (Dec 18, 2009)

I built this wiper this weekend, the johnson grass has been horrible this year in bermuda. Its 30' wide.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Nice rig okie. How do you have your wipers attached? What mixture ratio do you like to use of round-up and water. Regards, Mike


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

OK, you are always builing something. All I seem to be able to do is maintenance.LOL By the way, I like your 6430. Got one like it. Mike


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## David in Georgia (Aug 30, 2009)

Yes the Johnson grass will cause grass tetany, we found out the hard way 2 years ago at my father in laws across the road. Problem was we weren't sure which farm the rolls had come off of due to the fact we were baling and buying anything we could get our hands on. Had someone torch over 400 4x4 rolls that were stacked and tarped. I spent my daughters 2nd birthday in the field hauling out dead cows and in the "bone yard" out in the woods dissecting cows trying to figure out what had happened. That was during the drought here, each farm the "replacement" hay came off of has Johnson grass to some degree. Since then we've been trying to eradicate it from the farms and are slowly making headway.


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## tommystunes (May 26, 2010)

as another view,all our meadows have johnson grass in them,and we have never lost an animal to it.nitrate buildup is not a major problem if you aren't applying a lot of nitrogen fertilizer.Prussic acid will dissipate from the hay if you don't bale it too green.There is a simple test that most ag extension agents can do that will check for nitrates.

Johnson grass,cut in boot stage, will test at about 8 percent protein,(or better)and is highly palatable. It takes very little input to make a hay crop.Not for everyone,but not the boogie man many accuse it of being.


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

OkhayBallr said:


> I built this wiper this weekend, the johnson grass has been horrible this year in bermuda. Its 30' wide.


I wicked mine last weekend but mines only 20 ft wide, I like yours better than mine. I used poast in mine and it worked great. I can see it dieing in the field. I used poast because if i hit the alfalfa i wouldnt kill it and it worked.


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## tnwalkingred (Jun 8, 2010)

So I have started on my second cuttings this year and I have a heavy infestation of johnson grass. I read where one of you had said that using Maverick is a good way to manage it. My question is this. Do I need to use a wick application or can I just spray it like normal? If I do spray it what will be the effect of the Maverick on the grasses I don't want to kill? When is the best time to spray it? Thanks for your help.

Kyle


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Kyle,

Maverick is 75% Sulfosulfuron. I have only used it on Bermuda as it will kill Bahia. It's a granule that you mix with water and apply with a sprayer. There is a 14 day grazing/harvest restriction. I only spray it where the Johnson Grass is when the JG is 24-36" tall. It will yellow the Bermuda but it recovers fine. It's a lot cheaper to to use roundup in the spring. Once you start cutting a field, it's better to get the JG with a weed wiper and Roundup as it will typically grow faster than the grass around it.


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## dikfox (Aug 3, 2011)

Hi folks I`m not in the hay business,but a friend of mine has asked me if johnson grass hay was illegal to import to Tex. &and Okla,,he had heard it was ,,just asking ,thanks


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Are there any herbicides that will kill JG but not Orchard/Fescue?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

None that I am aware of.

Regards, Mike


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Plateau herbicide from BASF can be used on OG with limited effects IF applied carefully at 4-6 OZ/acre. It will hurt fescue. It is EXTREMELY expensive--$800/gallon. It also has an extremely long residual effect (up to 4 years), so don't use it if you plan to reseed in the foreseeable future.

Ralph


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

I was on my way back from Birmingham Alabama today and noticed that the right-of-way crews had sprayed the JG with something. The JG was dying off but the other grasses appeared to be unhurt.

This stuff just exploded on my field this summer and from the looks of it, everybody around me is having the same problem.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

RockmartGA said:


> I was on my way back from Birmingham Alabama today and noticed that the right-of-way crews had sprayed the JG with something. The JG was dying off but the other grasses appeared to be unhurt.
> 
> This stuff just exploded on my field this summer and from the looks of it, everybody around me is having the same problem.


I have heard several folks make mention of how JG has "exploded" on their places this year. Do you know for sure that they sprayed instead of "wiped"?

Regards, Mike


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Plateau is used mainly by highway departments and government conservation groups to control "invasive species" like JG, so I would suspect that this crew might have used it.

Ralph


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Vol said:


> I have heard several folks make mention of how JG has "exploded" on their places this year. Do you know for sure that they sprayed instead of "wiped"?
> 
> Regards, Mike


No, not sure. However, they treated several miles of interstate so it seems like it would be too much to wipe or spot spray.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

There are some excellent posts on this Thread. The homemade wick wiper looks great. Am glad I don't have JG to be concerned with. I once had a small area of infestation, but when I finally got around to go spray it with RU, feral hogs had rooted it out. Don't know which is worse, JG or hog rooting.

Another herbicide for JG control in bermudagrass is Pastora from DuPont:

http://www2.dupont.com/Land_Management/en_US/assets/downloads/pdfs/Pasture_Rangeland/K-22791.pdf

Likely it also is very expensive.


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