Consult the herbicide label for further information on grazing restrictions, precautions, or other possible limitations.Īpplying broadleaf herbicides like 2,4-D will damage clover. For best herbicide activity wait until daytime air temperatures are greater than 50 degrees for two or three consecutive days. For optimum results apply herbicide in the early spring (February – March) before flowers are observed and when buttercup plants are still small and actively growing. Herbicides registered for use on grass pastures that contain 2,4-D will effectively control buttercup. Mowing fields or clipping plants close to the ground in the early spring before buttercup plants can produce flowers may help reduce the amount of new seed produced, but mowing alone will not totally eliminate seed production. Therefore, pasture management that maintain thick stands and promote growth of more desirable plants during these months is one of the best methods to help compete against the emergence and growth of this plant. Most buttercup plants emerge from seed during the fall or late winter months. If other forage is available, grazing livestock will usually avoid buttercup because the leaves, flowers, and stems have a sharp, acrid taste. Limited research in Europe indicates that it is detoxified in baleage as well.ĭeath of livestock due to buttercup is rare – A review of University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory records over the last 13 years found no cases of livestock deaths attributable to buttercup ingestion. Fortunately, the blistering agent is detoxified rapidly by drying, such that it is not generally a problem in hay. Grazing or mowing will release a powerful vesicant which causes blistering of the skin, mouth, and digestive system on contact. Buttercup is a persistent problem in overgrazed pastures or hay feeding areas.īuttercups are more than an unsightly weed. Management options include not overgrazing and thickening up the existing forage stand. Buttercup can easily be controlled chemically. Harvesting for hay or baleage serves to detoxify this weed such that feeding risks are low. Buttercup is a troublesome weed of hay and pasture fields and can be toxic if grazed. This is one reason buttercups can survive year to year. Waiting until after flowers appear can be too late to implement control tactics. New seed are produced during the time petals are showy. Each of these species have somewhat similar flower heads but differ in their leaf characteristics. Four species of buttercups that may be found in Kentucky: bulbous buttercup ( Ranunculus bulbosus), creeping buttercup ( Ranunculus repens), tall buttercup ( Ranunculus acris), and small flower buttercup ( Ranunculus arbortivus). Buttercups are sometimes classified as short-lived perennials, but often grow as winter annuals. Buttercup is the common name for a group of species from the genus Ranunculus. Kentucky pastures have exploded with the signature yellow flower of buttercup.
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