Ag notes: What is this weed in my pasture?

Published 8:39 am Tuesday, August 29, 2017

 Nimblewill 

Nimblewill is a warm season perennial grass that is widespread across the eastern United States. It is a commonly occurring plant in many types of pastures and turf. This stolon – (stem tissue that grows along the ground) producing grass can generate dense stands because the stolons root at the nodes and produce dense, fibrous root systems.

The leaf blades are smooth with few hairs and are a grayish-green color with a loosely spreading growth habit. Nimblewill emerges in the spring and grows throughout the summer. It thrives under a wide range of climatic conditions, especially during the dry summer months usually encountered in Kentucky.  The plant turns brown in winter, and many managers consider it unsightly.

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One reason that nimblewill persists in pastures is because horses, and other animals, rarely eat this plant. Mowing is ineffective as a control tactic. Currently, there is not an herbicide available that will control the nimblewill without severely

damaging desirable pasture grasses.

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Jerry Little, County Extension Agent for Agriculture/Natural Resources