# Spray to Realease grasses?



## Trophyduck

I'm new to all this.....could someone explain what is meant by Spraying (on what are you spraying the chemical?) to release grasses?
I'm thinking you are killing weeds to promote grasses to grow from existing seed beds?

thanks


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## Clayton

I have literally sprayed thousands of acres of 2,4-d amine for grass release. I like 2,4-d amine because it is cheap, doesn’t volatize and is relatively safe around soybeans as long as you use common sense about wind direction. I typically use 1 qt/ac but there are times when highter rates are needed. Asters are especially tough and dense needing higher rates. Tall and dense cocklebur can need higher rates as well.


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## Clayton

Thought this old post would make a good Sticky.


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## brake man

Couple of dumb questions to a guy who obviously knows very little about all this moist soil stuff:

What is 2,4-d amine and what does it do?

What does "grass release" mean?
I honestly do not know and am seriously asking.


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## da fowl slayer

24d is an ag herbicide that is a broad spectrum broad leaf killer .

Has very little effect on grass 

But

By reducing the the broadleaf competition it allows grasses like barnyard grass to sprout and have room to grow 

Barnyard grass is a favorite of most ducks. It’s a variety of millet that is free in the earths soil in most regions 

But needs space to grow
By controlling the broad leafs or disturbing soil barnyard grass and other grasses release from the soil and grow

The other side of the coin would be killing grasses to release smarteeed or other broad leaves . To do this you would kill the grasses with round up


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## Clayton

I use 2,4-D amine because it is safer to use around soybeans. 2,4-D ester is not safe to use around soybeans and very risky around cotton.

Here some pictures I have put together over the years comparing 2,4-D amine spraying to areas not treated. Usually they weren't treated because I accidentally missed them!!! LOL


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## hhpage

A couple of things that should probably be pointed out here, though they may seem obvious.


Read and understand the herbicide label. There is a lot of good information there. Herbicide manufacturers are in business to sell herbicides, so the rates they recommend on the label can be assumed to be effective. If a higher rate would actually work better, they would have included it on the label since they would sell more product!
Use a spray adjuvant if the label calls for it; crop oil concentrate, non-ionic surfactant, etc. can make a huge difference with certain chemistry and certain plants.
2,4D and many other agricultural pesticides are also regulated at the state level. Make sure you understand your state's specific regulations and licensing requirements. In AR, you have to have a commercial applicator's license in order to purchase anything more than "homeowner" quantities of restricted pesticides (2,4D is restricted in AR). Getting a commercial license for applying restricted pesticides on private property (not for hire) is a simple matter of taking a 4 hour training class at the local ag extension office, but you can't buy commercial quantities of most herbicides and insecticides without it.


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## brake man

Thanks for the information on this thread and on a number of others.


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## Trophyduck

Another question on releasing grasses (and thanks for all the info so far).
Will using 2,4D amine to release grasses affect clover? Is clover considered a "broadleaf"?


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## stevena198301

Trophyduck said:


> Another question on releasing grasses (and thanks for all the info so far).
> Will using 2,4D amine to release grasses affect clover? Is clover considered a "broadleaf"?


Kills the pizz outta clover!


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## ukcpeak

stevena198301 said:


> Kills the pizz outta clover!


Equally or more toxic to Cotton, which is the primary concern in States/ areas that produce cotton. 24ds toxicity to cotton and its propensity to volitize, drift, and condense a mile or more away, can make for an expensive mistake if you don't know or dont care what you are doing.


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## stevena198301

ukcpeak said:


> Equally or more toxic to Cotton, which is the primary concern in States/ areas that produce cotton. 24ds toxicity to cotton and its propensity to volitize, drift, and condense a mile or more away, can make for an expensive mistake if you don't know or dont care what you are doing.


Maryland known for its cotton production?


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## Teamjefe

Clayton said:


> I have literally sprayed thousands of acres of 2,4-d amine for grass release. I like 2,4-d amine because it is cheap, doesn’t volatize and is relatively safe around soybeans as long as you use common sense about wind direction. I typically use 1 qt/ac but there are times when highter rates are needed. Asters are especially tough and dense needing higher rates. Tall and dense cocklebur can need higher rates as well.




Clayton, I know you’ve posted this before but thought it would be good for the sticky. You had mentioned that you stop spraying glyphosate and switch to 2,4-d at some point in the summer. Was that July?


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## Clayton

Yes it is July.


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## duckbuster5901

stevena198301 said:


> Maryland known for its cotton production?


Funny thing about 10 years ago state was helping w/payments for farmers on eastern shore of md. to plant some cotton. Went on for a few years rotated thru after beans and before corn usually. Usually farmers put it in marginal fields. Haven,t seen any recently. Guess state ran out of dollars!


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## stevena198301

Here is a spray table I found, along with the .PDF of the paper it came from, regarding sunflower spraying. Gives a general description of what a few of the sprays help control.


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## jrchip1

2-4-D works great on killing Sesbania (Coffee bean), and lots of other "Broad Leafs". As mentioned, it's cheaper
than all the expensive Glyphosate brands, and lets grass/wild millet go unharmed.


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## jrchip1

Multiple bush hogging of "Moist Soil " areas during the summer, then 1-3" of water, late Summer/early Fall, helps late sprout crop of Barn Yard Millet (and other Millets) take off!


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## shipyard

jrchip1 said:


> Multiple bush hogging of "Moist Soil " areas during the summer, then 1-3" of water, late Summer/early Fall, helps late sprout crop of Barn Yard Millet (and other Millets) take off!


How did the millets turn out? I assume you bush hogged to reduce competition. Is that better than spraying? Do you prefer moist soil management over planting corn or other crop? Appreciate the post.


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## jrchip1

Following a early Spring "draw-down", I had a lot of millets "maturing"/seeding out in June/July. By bush hogging, you spread newly matured seeds onto the ground to start new plants, + the bush hogged millets begin resprouting stems that will seed out again in 4-8 weeks. I mostly strived to push a lot of Annual Millets to seeding/re-seeding in mid to late Fall. Got lots of pics of the
evolution, of their growth and maturity.


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