We had a conversation with Corteva Agriscience Field Scientist Sam Ingram at the NAFB Convention in Kansas City.
Q: Sam, let’s talk first about a brand new pasture product out from Corteva: NovaGraz. Very exciting stuff and I’ve read a little bit about this.
SI: It is an exciting time for us to launch a new product, NovaGraz, into the ranging pasture space. It is one of a very unique herbicide in that it controls a broad spectrum of broadleaf weeds, but it preserves white clover and annual lespedeza.
So this is going to give producers a new tool in the toolbox, one that they never had before because before launching NovaGraz, which we’ll have out in 2025, producers were not able to control weeds and not harm their white clover or annual lespedeza.
Q: Well, and I think about controlling some of those different issues that we have in our pastures, trying to get healthy pastures, especially with how dry it’s been in many parts of the country. That is going to be so crucial and so important here as we go into 2025 and beyond. Right, Sam?
SI: Yeah, you bet. So, when we’re able to preserve that white clover, annual lespedezas and still make an herbicide application with something like NovaGraz, we’re adding diversity.
Not only grasses, but legumes in this case. And when we have that mixture in a forage mix in a pasture setting, you bet we set ourselves up for success. If we do get in drought conditions or if we get timely rains we capitalize on that, we get good forage growth. Because at the end of the day, when we talk to cattle producers, their cheapest way to put pounds of gain on those animals is through grazing.
Q: I mean, talk a little bit about the shift from El Nino to La Nina that we’re seeing right now just with that overall pasture health. And I know you guys have a lot of great resources to help producers when it comes to their overall pasture management and health. But I mean, it varies by region, but we’ve seen a lot of areas where drought has been rebuilding here this fall, and it is a bit of a concern.
SI: Yeah, you bet. So on the one point, we do have a lot of great resources.
And I would say first off, if they’re interested to learn more details about NovaGraz, go to NovaGraz.us, but also we have ranging pasture specialists across the US so reach out to those specialists. They can help you when we’re talking about pasture management, those things related to not only weed control, but overall management of those pastures.
On your point, from El Nino to La Nina, we do have a shift there. So unfortunately, those that have had some drought like conditions in the summer, some of those are going to be prolonged. But sporadic, timely rains have come across the U.S. I’ve talked to a couple of producers in the southeast that planted annual forages this fall. Had some timely rains, we’ve had good growing degree days.
So some producers are going to be okay from a forage standpoint this fall. Some are going to have to be thinking about bringing in feed resources off farm. So yeah, it’s kind of a feast or famine for a lot of producers, unfortunately. But they’re resilient. They know how get through it. And some of those best steps, you know, one thing I would say is reach out to some of our range of pasture specialists, see how to set up your pastures for success.
Q: And if they reach out to some of those specialists as well, they can learn more about NovaGraz too.
