White Clover — The Key to Grazing Success NovaGraz ™ herbicide helps Louisiana producer defeat weeds, keep white clover. Loyd Dodson is a big believer in letting his cattle feed themselves off the land rather than feeding them extra hay and haylage throughout the summer. Dodson runs Dodson Ranch in Coushatta, Louisiana, a cow/calf and hay operation that has been in his family since 1872, with cattle on the ranch since 1988. “The object is — and you’ll see this all over the country — let the cows feed themselves from what you’re raising in the dirt rather than bringing something else in,” Dodson
A Thorn in Your Side These are the weeds most likely to threaten your pasture and what you need to do to control them. The following weeds continue to challenge cattle producers nationwide, according to our boots-on-the-ground team of Corteva Range & Pasture Specialists. These weeds reduce both forage quality and quantity, creating ongoing production issues. What are the top three worst offenders? #1 | THISTLES Thistles come in many different species and take the top spot in the most aggravating weed families category. Of the four main types that are most concerning for U.S. cattle producers, Musk, Bull and Scotch thistles are biennials, while Canada thistle is a hardy perennial. Thistles can be easily recognized by their spiny leaves and round, purple or pink flowers, which resemble pincushions. Thistles not only compete with forage grasses for moisture and nutrients, they also reduce available grazing acres, as cattle avoid these thorny weeds. Treatment | To preserve white clover and annual lespedeza, apply NovaGraz™ herbicide at 24 fluid ounces per acre plus 1% MSO v/v for biennial thistle control. For Bull and Musk thistle, apply 16 fluid ounces of DuraCor® herbicide per acre or 1¼ pints per acre of GrazonPD3™ herbicide at the rosette stage, or apply 2 to 2⅔ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 from bolting to bud stage. For Scotch thistle, apply 16 to 20 fluid ounces of DuraCor per acre or 1¼ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 at the rosette stage, or 2 to 2⅔ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 from bolting to bud stage. For Canada thistle, apply 16 to 20 fluid ounces of DuraCor per acre or 2½ pints per acre of GrazonPD3 before the bud stage.
“We’ve had problems keeping the competition away but allowing the white clover to keep coming back,” Dodson continues. “I really think that NovaGraz is going to be a game changer for everybody in our part of the world who has been scared to spray pastures because of killing the white clover. That has been challenging for everybody.” Dodson used NovaGraz™ herbicide for the first time on 300 acres in 2025, with some urging from Ronald Strahan, Ph.D., Louisiana State University. Dodson purchased enough product to spray 300 acres and was able to do 200 acres before it rained. He sprayed the remaining 100 acres later. Despite the two different spray times, Dodson was excited by the results — so much so that he plans to spray more of his farm with NovaGraz in 2026. \\ “I’m proud of those 200 acres
Silverleaf nightshade is one of the worst pasture weeds, according to Corteva Range & Pasture Specialists.
#2 | SILVERLEAF NIGHTSHADE Silverleaf nightshade typically is 1–3 feet tall and has leaves that appear gray or silvery with violet, light blue, or white flowers. The stems are sparsely covered with short, yellow thorns. Leaves and stems are covered in a layer of dense silvery hair. Treatment | Apply 16 to 20 fluid ounces of DuraCor® herbicide per acre or 1.5 to 2.1 pints of GrazonNext® HL herbicide or 20 to 32 fluid ounces of GrazonPD3™ herbicide per acre, during bloom. Use the higher rate when flowering or when weeds are larger. Re-treatment is necessary for total control. #3: IT’S A TIE! Horseweed (marestail), woolly croton, western ragweed and horsenettle tied for third place in our Range & Pasture specialist survey. Find treatment options for these and other weeds in the latest Range & Pasture Weed ID Guide. Contact your Corteva Agriscience Range & Pasture specialist to create a tailored control plan.
and we’re going to spray at least 900 acres next year,” he adds. “We’re going to be really vigilant on getting started early next year when the
explains. “If you have to give them more, it will impact your pocketbook. That’s why we try to keep the competition away from the white clover.” Having his cattle rotational graze on white clover is what Dodson
prefers and he overseeds fields on a regular basis to ensure cattle have access to this nutritious legume that helps improve cow performance and increase rate of gain on calves and stockers. “If the white clover is good, that cow will be milking like a Holstein and that makes that steer yearling she has on her side grow. Come spring, he’ll be weighing 650- 700 pounds,” he says. “Nothing makes a cow milk, in my opinion, like white clover. If you have that calf on the ground in October, you can sit back and drink your sweet tea and watch him grow.” But there is plenty of competition from buttercup, thistle, goat weeds and many others on Dodson’s 1,800-acre property. While he believes rotation helps with weed control, spraying the paddocks is the best way to manage them. In the past, this was done with caution, as most available herbicides killed white clover along with the unwanted weeds.
buttercups are just starting to flower as we want to knock them back when they are young.” // Dodson believes others will understand why NovaGraz™ is a game-changer once they see the amount of white clover in their fields. “The more grass you grow and the less weeds there are, the more you have for your cows to eat. If all you have is grass or legumes, then you can run another cow per acre. That will pay for the cost of the chemical,” Dodson explains. “You’re going to spend money one way or the other feeding your cattle. It’s a lot easier to open a gate and let the cows go out there than it is to have a hay truck pull up to the yard.” Louisiana producer Loyd Dodson used NovaGraz ™ herbicide on about 300 acres in 2025 (pictured above) and plans to use it on at least 900 acres in 2026. Dodson says NovaGraz will be a game-changer for him and other cattle producers.
Thistles compete with forage grasses for moisture and nutrients, reducing available grazing acres because cattle avoid these thorny weeds.
Download the Corteva Range & Pasture Weed ID Guide: RangeAndPasture.com/StewardWeedID.
If you are in the far Western U.S., download the Western Weed and Brush ID Guide: RangeAndPasture.com/WesternWeeds.
Visit > NovaGraz.us/ByTheNumbersSteward to learn more about NovaGraz ™ herbicide.
™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. GrazonPD3 ™ is a Restricted Use Pesticide . GrazonPD3 is not for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York state. Under normal field conditions, DuraCor ® is non-volatile. DuraCor and GrazonNext ® HL herbicides have no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with DuraCor or GrazonNext HL to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. Consult the label for full details. GrazonNext HL is not for sale, distribution or use in New York state and San Luis Valley of Colorado. White clover and annual lespedeza exhibit some initial injury (such as lodging and loss of vigor) with NovaGraz, but recover. Not all products are not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. ©2026 Corteva.
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™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. White clover and annua lespedeza exhibit some initial injury (such as lodging and loss of vigor) but recover with NovaGraz ™ . NovaGraz is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. ©2026 Corteva.
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