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Post by kevlar on Sept 9, 2021 20:46:39 GMT -6
I've noticed a couple of ads in the last week on a local website where people are selling Kochia bales. Is that legal? I think the last thing I want is someone hauling a truck load of a horrible weed like that past my place. That's the one weed we don't have, yet, and would like to keep it that way. Should a weed inspector be stopping stuff like this? Is there even such a thing as a weed inspector anymore? I know there are several people that should get a visit by one every year around here, but nothing gets done. Kochia bales? Seriously?
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Post by SWMan on Sept 9, 2021 20:58:08 GMT -6
Apparently it's good feed. My new hay stand was pretty full of it in spots and I kept the bales separate and my neighbor bought them all off the field, he's only two miles away though. He said just throw them in the tub grinder and grind them up... As for moving hay and weed seeds it is gonna be everywhere anyways. Guaranteed your neighbor bought a combine from RME and has clubroot, or some guy 30 miles away swathed his field and left the kochia and it blew all over, or the highways ditch mower deposited milkweed nearby, etc, etc. I think the solution might be to have a hay passport, maybe put ID tags on all hay bales because they put other "clean" hay bales at risk. (that was a joke, couldn't resist). I do think some awareness might be a good thing though, slow the spread so to speak.....man they have corrupted all normal sayings.  |
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Post by kevlar on Sept 9, 2021 21:03:47 GMT -6
That's what happened here years back with white daisy (Scentless Chamomile). A guy had a hay field just filthy with it, sold all the hay and was hauled past our place. The ditches were rampant with it for a long time and we fight that weed to this day, and have found the only real cure is to hand pick it. Some guys just let it grow wild. Chemicals can get it under control, but the timing has to be perfect and you have to be relentless on it.
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Post by SWMan on Sept 9, 2021 21:07:33 GMT -6
We used to hand-pick kochia, put in garbage bags and burn it. I'm afraid it's a losing battle with that weed the way it blows around. Bad thing is some of it is resistant to glyphosate.
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Post by torriem on Sept 9, 2021 22:17:41 GMT -6
Heard of several people in my area chopping kochia for silage. Wouldn't the manure also spread the seeds? Sounds problematic but ranchers are rather desperate. Fortunately kochia seeds are only viable for a couple of years, but if the drought continues, kochia will get out of control.
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Post by meskie on Sept 10, 2021 0:03:02 GMT -6
Heard of several people in my area chopping kochia for silage. Wouldn't the manure also spread the seeds? Sounds problematic but ranchers are rather desperate. Fortunately kochia seeds are only viable for a couple of years, but if the drought continues, kochia will get out of control. Once it’s ensiled and gone through a cow and sat in manure the seeds aren’t viable anymore. We clean up kochia patches by chopping for silage and never had a problem with seeding it where we spread manure. We chop when the seeds are immature though so could be a difference. That’s the best way we have found to control it. |
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BJT
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Post by BJT on Sept 10, 2021 3:44:13 GMT -6
It’s resistant to more than just glyphosate. Kochia all over around here, especially on a dry year like this one. Every spot with a bit of salinity is full of it. Lots gets cut and baled here. Usually after harvest though when it’s not good feed, guys will just run grind it or burn the bales.
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Post by Albertabuck on Sept 10, 2021 9:18:38 GMT -6
Heard of several people in my area chopping kochia for silage. Wouldn't the manure also spread the seeds? Sounds problematic but ranchers are rather desperate. Fortunately kochia seeds are only viable for a couple of years, but if the drought continues, kochia will get out of control. Once it’s ensiled and gone through a cow and sat in manure the seeds aren’t viable anymore. We clean up kochia patches by chopping for silage and never had a problem with seeding it where we spread manure. We chop when the seeds are immature though so could be a difference. That’s the best way we have found to control it. My main go to machine for long term weed control is the forage harvester, nothing survives the process and even things like canada thistle become palatable. I will admit I am impressed there are still some out there picking weeds by hand, sentless chamomile and tansy are the ones I do here They was talking on the radio the other day about them kochia bales, have no idea about it, not a weed I have ever dealt with. But yea, playing with fire there, as someone said, thats exactly how sentless chamomile got spread so bad here in AB years back. |
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Post by meskie on Sept 10, 2021 9:23:17 GMT -6
It feed tests around 18-19% protein is what I was reading. So if you can get them to eat it which is easy when it’s chopped up
Our neighbour had a 20 acre piece that was pure kochia and my dad had mentioned we could get rid of it for him. The year after we did it there wasn’t more then 4 or 5 plants that came back.
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