When it comes to vegetation management, there are a number of ways to go about it: mowing, controlled burns, herbicide applications, etc. However, if you want unparalleled control, implementing fall applications into your integrated vegetation management (IVM) program is key.
Fall herbicides are proactively able to stop grass and weeds before they have the opportunity to emerge. By preventing germination and depleting the seed bank, unwanted vegetation isn't able to gain a foothold. This effectively prevents most of these weeds from becoming a problem in the first place.
In general, spring can bring a lot of uncertainties. Unpredictable weather like drought or sudden heavy rainfall, high temperatures and windy conditions all make spring a difficult time to plan herbicide applications. Whether you’re spraying bareground, roadways, railways or somewhere else, by using fall treatments, you can more easily avoid these weather variables and get more consistency.
Proactive fall applications reduce repeated weed treatments and the need for expensive reactive mechanical treatments. When less weeds grow thanks to your fall herbicide applications, your vegetation management crews won’t need to go out as often for mechanical treatment. And when you reduce the time your crews need to be working in potentially dangerous locations like roadsides or bareground areas, you reduce the potential risk of injury to workers or damage to equipment in the field. You also help protect the public by reducing the risks of maintenance in those areas, such as when mowing equipment throws loose rocks or car accidents.
By stopping weeds at germination, you help reduce the amount of dead, dried vegetation. With increasingly warmer and drier summers, wildfire risks have been at an all-time high. Keeping potential tinder to a minimum helps to protect land by preventing fires from spreading.
Weeds, vines and brush can all interfere with sites and infrastructure. Things like obstructed lines of sight and overgrown utility substations can create inconvenient and even dangerous situations. By eliminating the presence of unwanted vegetation, you are able to protect important structures and help keep life running smoothly.
While chemical treatments may seem expensive, in the long run, they really pay off. By investing in fall applications, you can save time and money by not needing as many mechanical treatments in the following months. You’ll be protecting your crews, reducing the number of callbacks and strengthening your bottom line. Best of all, this level of control can help you build trust and loyalty with your customers that money alone could never buy.
For more information on building a strong integrated vegetation management plan with fall applications,
contact you herbicide rep and view our product portfolio.
