Pond Weed Control

With summer in full swing everybody wants there stock tanks to look nice.  We haven’t had as much rain as we would like but we can still pray for it. Even without rain we still see the effects of moss and algae in our stock ponds.  Treating earlier would be better, but it is not too late to think about pond management.  When we do have runoff of rains our tanks are sure to show new plant growth.  This article has some age but is still relevant for today, Dr. Michael Masser, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service fisheries specialist wrote a couple of years back and thought it would be important for pond owners this year.

            "Aquatic vegetation are the 'yin and yang of ponds," said Dr. Masser. "It would be nice to have some aquatic plants for esthetics and wildlife, but too many are a nightmare."  But control of moss and other aquatic plants need not be expensive or complicated, he said. Such vegetation can be controlled by mechanical, biological or chemical methods – either singly or in combination – in an integrated pest management approach.

            Pond moss and aquatic weeds can not only turn a pleasant day of fishing into a perpetual snag, they can make swimming and boating impossible too.  "Ten to 15 percent pond coverage of rooted aquatic vegetation would probably be good from a fish and wildlife standpoint, but ponds typically start out with almost none and after a very few years are almost entirely covered," he said.  There's a misconception, Masser said, that ponds and lakes can't be cleared of all rooted vegetation without critically reducing the food chain. True, plants are the beginning of any food chain, he said, but rooted vegetation tends to take over small ponds.

          Too many rooted plants not only disrupt recreational activities, but also increase sedimentation, disrupt the oxygen balance and prevent largemouth bass from finding prey fish, such as sunfish.  And also contrary to popular belief, bass do not need rooted vegetation to spawn.  "No, actually bass have to remove weeds to build their nests," Masser said. "In fact, scientific research has shown that the most productive bass and sunfish ponds are actually those that have little or no rooted aquatic vegetation and instead have green water or planktonic algae blooms."  Other research has shown that the same stringy, filamentous algae – what most would call "pond scum" – produces a more constant food supply than rooted vegetation, he said.  Counter intuitively, one of the easy ways to prevent root vegetation from taking over a pond is to fertilize, he said.

            "Note, that I said ‘prevent’ not ‘control,’" Masser said. "Proper fertilization creates green planktonic algae blooms. The algae blooms shade the pond bottom in areas over 2 or 3 feet deep and keep rooted weeds from getting started along the bottom."   Because fertilizing promotes algae growth, it also builds the food chain and enables the pond to support more fish, he noted.  An option is to use non-toxic chemical dyes to shade the pond bottom. The dyes do not promote green algae growth as does a fertilization program, however. So the treatment will promote higher fish populations.

            There are mechanical methods to control rooted vegetation, but they all require considerable industriousness on the part of the pond owner, Masser said. Weeds can be pulled or grubbed by hand or hoe. Some suppliers of mechanical cutters use a sickle wire or blade to shred the weeds. The cutters are usually hand-held and are labor-intensive. And like a home lawn, the vegetation is continually growing, so cutting has to be done again – and again. The heavy, water-laden cuttings have to be removed from the pond.  "If you like mowing your lawn, you're going to love mowing your pond," Masser said.  There's only one biological method of pond weed control in Texas: the triploid grass carp, he said.  Sometimes called the white amur, grass carp eat most submerged aquatic weeds. They cannot eat weeds that are on or project above the water surface, such cattails and lily pads.  Because it is feared the species might take over ponds and streams and crowd out game fish, only sterile, triploid grass carp are legal.

           To purchase the fish, pond owners must get a permit from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The species is only legally available from certified dealers.  Though sterile, the grass carp live as long as 10 years. Typically, Masser said, they control weeds for five to seven years, but are not effective for all species of weeds.  "This type of biological control is inexpensive from the standpoint of labor and chemical costs," Masser said. "Many pond owners, after years of frustration of trying to control aquatic weeds by other means, have found grass carp to be a simple and effective answer to their problems if stocked in sufficient numbers." 

            And then there's chemical control, Masser said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has registered only nine active herbicide ingredients for aquatic weed control. All have been extensively tested and are safe if properly used.  "However, many of these herbicides still have water-use restrictions of a few days to several months for uses like livestock watering, fishing, swimming and irrigation that may make them unacceptable to many pond owners," Masser said.  And there is also the risk of killing too many weeds too fast with chemical controls. Rapid decomposition of plant material in a small pond or lake can cause oxygen depletion and kill fish.

            Masser offered these guidelines when using chemical controls.

            – Treat early in the year, April or May.

            – Treat a small section of the pond – about a quarter at most – at one time.

            – Allow time for the decomposition process to complete before treating the next section.

          – Follow herbicide labels that state the entire pond must be treated at once to get effective    control.

–        Always read and follow label instructions to letter.

            For more information contact the Wise County Texas AgriLife Extension office at 940-627-3341.           

Lawns

It is that time of year that I encounter a number of individuals who either call or come to the office who have questions regarding their lawn.  One of those questions has to do with timing of fertilizer application. The rule of thumb that seems to work is that when you have mowed 2-3 times it is time to fertilize.  Due to a cooler or milder spring and irregular weather we experienced this spring the growth of most of our turf grasses has been slowed considerably.  Understand, that I mean turf grasses not the winter rye grass and rescue grass we see growing like wild.  Unfortunately, we can’t do anything for those now; but, the good news is the heat is here and they will soon go away. If you are having to mow, that indicates the turf is actively growing and is therefore ready for that first application, preferably I would encourage you to take a soil sample to see exactly what your lawn needs, if not, products with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio would most likely to a good job.  Apply at a rate of 1 pound per 1000 square feet of turf.  The weed and feed products that are so popular are not a good idea since your weed control should have been applied weeks ago.  If you are having major weed problems give me a call or bring in a sample and we’ll come up with a plan for your yard. 

Another question that comes up regularly is concerning dead areas in the turf.  There can be many causes of dead spots.  One question you need to answer is, can these dead spots be lifted by hand and or rolled up like carpet.  If so, your lawn may have been damaged by white grubs.  White grubs are simply the larval stage of the May or June beetle.  These root-feeding grubs are creamy-white and c-shaped with three pairs of legs, and their damage normally occurs during the summer and early fall.  They feed on grass roots and the damaged areas begin to show up as weakened or dying grass in irregular shapes.  Eventually, if the population and damage is severe, these areas will die.  To locate grubs, dig with a spade or shovel to a depth of at least 4 inches.  Finding 3-5 grubs per square spot suggests an insecticide treatment is needed.  Apply control in June or July and use a product that contains imidacloprid, halofenozide, trichlorfon or carbaryl.  Be sure to read and follow label directions.  For those interested in non-chemical control, beneficial nematodes can be purchased in garden centers or through garden supply catalogs.  Research shows that under good conditions, commercially-available nematodes can reduce white grub populations by up to 50 per cent.  There are several good products available locally.  If you would like a list of grub control products call or come by the Extension office or visit the Aggie-Turf website at http://aggie-turf.tamu.edu.

Weed Control in Turf

            In lawns and sports fields, weeds are often the result of poor quality turf, rather than the cause of poor turf.  The aggressive nature of weeds and their prolific reproductive capacity enable them to invade thin, weak turf areas.  Cultural practices should always be viewed as the first step to effective weed control.  Always determine why weeds established a foothold and correct those deficiencies.  If the basic problem is not corrected, weeds will continue to occur.  An effective weed-control program also requires identification of the undesirable species as to its classification as a grassy weed, a broadleaf weed, an annual, or a perennial.  Most turf weeds belong to two principal categories – grasses and broadleaf plants.  Chemical controls for these two categories of plants frequently differ. 

            Grassy weeds have jointed, hollow stems; leaf blades have veins parallel to leaf margins, and are several times longer than they are wide; roots are fibrous and multi-branching; and flowers are usually inconspicuous.  In contrast, broadleaved plants often have showy flowers; leaves have a network of veins at diverse angles to one another; stems are often pithy; and a taproot is usually present.  Another group of turf weeds, sedges, have grasslike characteristics, but require a different group of chemicals for control.  Sedges are characterized by three-sided stems (triangular cross-section) which bear leaves in three directions (in contrast to the two-ranked arrangement of grass leaves).

            Weeds can be further grouped according to their life span – annual or perennial.   From the standpoint of chemical control, the grouping is most important, because pre-emergent herbicides are only effective for control of annual weeds.  Annual weeds germinate from seed each year, mature in one growing season, and die in less than 12 months.  Crabgrass and henbit are examples of annual weeds – crabgrass being a summer annual and henbit being a winter annual.  Pre-emergent herbicides must be applied according to the expected date of emergence for each targeted species. 

            Perennial weeds live more than one year, and recover or regrow from dormant stolons, rhizomes, or tubers as well as from seed.  Control of perennial weeds requires a post-emergent herbicide during its season of active growth.  Products such as Portrait, Amaze and Dimension are available locally and need watering in order to activate.  

            Effective chemical weed control requires identification of the weeds as to their Classification (grass, broadleaf, sedge, etc.), life span (annual or perennial), and season of active growth (cool season or warm season).  Effective chemical control also requires accurate timing of applications, proper rate of application, and uniformity of application.  Always follow label directions for a product, and observe all warnings and precautions relative to safety of the application.  Herbicide labels should be carefully reviewed for additional details on specific uses of each product.

Pasture Management Workshop

The annual Wise County Pasture Management Workshop will be held March 9, 2017 at a new location.  This year the workshop will be at the Bridgeport Community Center, 1102 Lawdwin Ave., Bridgeport, Texas.  Registration will start at 10:30 a.m. and the program will start at 11:00 a.m.

Lunch will be sponsored by Protocol Naturals.

We have an excellent slate of speakers this year including: Eddie Funderburg, Soils and Crops Consultant, Agricultural Division of the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation speaking on “Optimizing Your Pasture Fertilizer Dollars” and “Weed Control In Pastures”;  Jimmy Horner,  Ph.D., P.A.S. and owner of Protocol Naturals will talk about the importance of Beef Cattle Mineral Supplementation; and Dr. Charles Allen, Professor, Associate Department Head and Extension Entomologist will speak on “Pest Management for Forage Producers”. 

We will offer 2 General CEU’s for TDA Pesticide Applicator License holders. The program is sponsored by the Wise County Livestock and Forage Committee.  The registration Fee is $10 per person ($15 late registration at the door).  Please call Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Wise County at 940-627-3341 to reserve your spot or if you have any questions. 

Early Weed Control

Early weed control in pastures may be one big key to pasture recovery and acceptable forage production this spring.  We have had an extremely wet fall and winter rains for soil moisture to carry us to spring green up. Thousands of acres of Wise County range and pasture support excessive cover of weeds and brush due to over grazing that use valuable water and reduce grass production.  The result of overgrazing will result in increased soil erosion. These noxious plants must be managed effectively for pastures to reach their production potential. Use of herbicides provides an effective and efficient alternative for controlling weeds to improve pastures and maintain them in a highly productive condition.

Some herbicides provide a high degree of control of certain species; however, seldom is a species eradicated. Consider other potential rangeland uses when developing a brush management program. Many trees, shrubs and forbs are valuable as food and cover for wildlife and may be an important component in livestock diets. Therefore, a brush management program should provide for use of control methods that give optimum benefits to livestock and wildlife.

Herbicide application may increase palatability of poisonous plants. Thus, they are more likely to be consumed by livestock. To prevent losses to toxic plants, herbicide-treated areas with poisonous plants present should not be grazed until the toxic plants dry up and lose their palatability.

Properly used herbicides are effective and safe. Misuse can result in poor brush and weed control and possible hazards associated with herbicidal drift, dangerous residues, or killing desirable plants. Listed below are points to follow for proper herbicide use:

·         Identify the weed or brush species and evaluate the need for control.

·         Consider expected benefits, costs and alternative control practices.

·         Select and purchase the suggested herbicide for the weed or brush species.

·         Read and follow herbicide label directions for allowable uses, application

        rates and special handling or mixing requirements.

·          Provide and require the use of proper safety equipment.

·          Calibrate spray equipment.

·          Mix herbicides in a ventilated area, preferably outside.

·          Spray under conditions that prevent drift to susceptible crops.

·          Apply the herbicides at the suggested rate and time.

·          Keep a record of the herbicide used, the time required to spray, weather

conditions, rate of herbicide in carrier, date, location and the person using

the herbicide.

The sprayer used must apply the correct quantity of herbicide mixture to a specific area. To calibrate spray equipment, see Extension publication L-5465 (available at the Extension office), “Weed Busters: Sprayer Calibration Guide.” 

Suggested herbicides must be registered and labeled for use by the Environmental Protection Agency.  Because the status of herbicide label clearance is subject to change, be certain that the herbicide is currently labeled for the intended use.

The user is always responsible for the effects of herbicide residue on his livestock and crops, as well as for problems that could arise from drift or movement of the herbicide from his property to that of others. Always read and follow carefully the instructions on the container label.

For more information on early weed control, contact the Wise County Texas AgriLife Extension office at 940-627-3341.