Warm temperatures and dry weather favor millets such as bristlecone. A meadow with millet must not be mown too deeply.
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The spread of millet grass, particularly bristlecone (Setaria pumila), is a growing problem for agriculture. This invasive weed is becoming more widespread due to climate change and intensive agricultural practices. Millet grasses prefer dry climates, such as hot summers, bise currents or long foehn phases, which dry out the soil, according to a report in the “Luzerner Zeitung”.
In dry and hot periods, bristle millet takes advantage of the weakening of other plants and fills the resulting gaps in the plant population, it goes on to say. This allows it to spread quickly to areas that have not previously been infested. Dry weather accelerates the spread. There are no approved herbicides to combat them.
Less yields
The millet grasses not only reduce the yield, but also affect the quality of the feed. They have a very low feed value and are hardly eaten by animals. The nutritional value of bristle and finger millet is “zero,” Tony Dettling is quoted in the “Luzerner Zeitung”.
Dettling is a specialist at the agricultural advisory center, crop production department, in Pfäffikon. In dry food, the bristles of millet can act like small needles and cause injuries to the animal’s mouth, palate and tongue.
Displace valuable fodder plants
The millet grasses are particularly competitive in hot and dry summers when other grasses suffer from the heat and dryness. They fill gaps in the population and displace plant species relevant to fodder production. The millet grasses spread quickly and are difficult to control. Their seeds can be spread in a variety of ways, including machinery, manure and manure.
In the video below, farmers Marco and Hanspeter Odermatt from Buochs NW report on their experiences with millet infestation and what they did about it.
Valley and hill zones, southern slopes and roadsides are particularly affected, while mountain zones are hardly affected, writes the “Luzerner Zeitung”. Milder temperatures and an earlier start to spring extend the growing season of bristlecone.
This allows the plant to spread further and establish itself. In severely affected areas, the spread of bristle millet can lead to significant crop failures, “in certain plots even to the total loss of individual uses,” Dettling told the “Luzerner Zeitung”.
Combat strategies
To address the milletgrass problem, several strategies are recommended:
1. Adaptation of management methods:
– Higher cutting height (6-8 cm) for mowing work
– Avoidance of track and step damage
– Encourage a dense sward through early spring grazing
2. Usage adjustment:
– Implementation of hay pasture use
– Targeted division of the pasture area into paddocks
3. Overseeding and plant selection:
– Closing gaps by overseeding in spring
– Promote heat-resistant and robust plants
4. Fertilization management:
– Adaptation of fertilization to use
– Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization in summer
Also read the following articles on this topic:
-> Mow problem weed bristle millet high
-> With 8 centimeters against bristle millet
-> Mow high for bristle millet
-> Summary from the Liebegg Agricultural Center.
