Renovating Pastures with Glyphosate Tolerant Soybeans

Abstract

Pasture renovation is expensive because of lost production, costs for eliminating existing vegetation by tillage or herbicides, and direct replanting costs. Reducing costs, reducing risk of failure, and producing income from pasture land during renovation can significantly increase the profitability of improving pastures. Technology developed for soybean production can be used to renovate pasture. Roundup Ready (glyphosate-resistant) technology can be used to eliminate existing vegetation, produce income from soybeans during renovation, and prepare a good seedbed for replanting areas to forages. The goal of pasture renovation is to replace plants that do not fit your needs with forages better suited to your pasture needs. The first step is to eliminate undesirable plants with tillage or herbicides. Herbicides can significantly reduce producer’s energy input costs and soil erosion. Planting a glyphosate-tolerant soybean crop enables the use of glyphosate for weed control. This process maintains pasture residue on site, reduces soil erosion and desiccation, and produces income during renovation. Soybeans are preferable to corn because soybeans provide residual nitrogen, produce an excellent seedbed for no-till planting, and leave sufficient residue to protect the soil without interfering with seeding. We conduct grazing research and regularly use glyphosate-tolerant soybeans to replace research pastures and forage research fields. Based on our experience, we have developed some guidelines for successfully using glyphosate-tolerant soybeans for pasture renovation.