WGF Milo

[KSQ2]

Johnston Seed sells a milo that is supposed to be bitter through the doughy stage to keep deer and birds off of it until it matures. I’m splitting a bag with a buddy and experimenting with it this year. My question has to do with johnson grass. If I seed the milo pretty heavy and fertilize it well, will it coexist with the johnson grass enough to put on heads? I plan to hit the planting spot hard with gly, after the johnson grass gets going to prep the ground, so hopefully, the milo gets a head start.

 

[Native Hunter]

It's hard to say for sure. Johnson grass comes back from seed faster than most other perennial grasses, but I don't think it would completely choke out the milo in that first year if you do that Gly kill like you said. You will probably see lots of the JG by the end of the growing season, but milo grows pretty fast too.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Could you spray it with a grass specific Herbicide before it canopies?

 

[cutman]

Could you spray it with a grass specific Herbicide before it canopies?

That would kill the sorghum. It’s a grass (just like corn).

 

[cutman]

I would do a burn down with glyphosate then spray a residual like Dual II Magnum

(https://www.syngenta-us.com/herbici...g-lasting control of,a variety of other crops.)

That should give your Milo enough time to out compete Johnson grass.

 

[KSQ2]

I would do a burn down with glyphosate then spray a residual like Dual II Magnum

(https://www.syngenta-us.com/herbicides/dual-ii-magnum#:~:text=With long-lasting control of,a variety of other crops.)

That should give your Milo enough time to out compete Johnson grass.

This plot will be right in the middle of the lower barn plot area on our farm, I would be nervous about spraying a residual very close to other established plants like clover and chicory, along with fall planting of cereals a couple months later. I’ve never used a residual, and would have to do a little research first. I don’t mind some Johnson grass in the milo, as long as it gets enough of a head start to put on a good seed head eventually. Some johnson grass could even hide it from the deer some when it is in the doughy stage. I’m not sure I trust that the “bitter” stage is real, after seeing deer decimate small milo plots in the past, it’ll taking seeing it to believe the bitter stage will work.

 

[cutman]

You’d be shocked at how much residual herbicides can help. As long as you calibrate your sprayer, spray accurately, and follow label instructions, they are nothing to be afraid of.

 

[Bowman]

I would not plant Milo anywhere near Johnson grass. I had an infestation with “sterile” Sudangrass screening which took over the entire field. MSU recommended immediate mowing and termination.​

Johnsongrass Sudangrass Pollination​

Johnsongrass can indeed pollinate sudangrass. Both are members of the genus Sorghum and can cross-pollinate, leading to the production of hybrid off-types that can persist over winter and come back the next growing season. This cross-pollination is a concern for farmers, as it can affect the purity and quality of their crops. To mitigate this, specific isolation distances are required for certified seed production, such as 990 feet for Foundation class seed and 660 feet for Certified class seed from any other sorghum, including Johnsongrass.


https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g4872



https://www.sare.org/publications/manage-weeds-on-your-farm/johnson-grass/



https://www.finneycounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/1009/Johnsongrass-Control-in-Milo

Pollen-mediated transfer of herbicide resistance between johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) biotypes - Scientific Reports

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) is a troublesome weed in row crop production in the United States. Herbicide resistance is a growing concern in this species, with resistance to ACCase-, ALS-, and EPSPS-inhibitors already reported. Pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) is capable of spreading...

www.nature.com