Controlling Buttercups
Key facts:
- Common name: Creeping Buttercup
- Scientific name: Ranunculus Repens
- Timing: flowering in Spring; treat in Spring and Summer
About buttercups:
Buttercups can become a big problem in older pasture where sown species of grass are losing their vigour. It may not be possible in the immediate future to re-seed the fields therefore removal of problem weeds such as buttercups can bring huge improvements in both grazing fields and those where silage cut is taken.
Buttercup can be a skin irritant resulting in contact dermatitis in some livestock. Alongside this, if ingested, they can cause stomach irritations. As the buttercup population increases throughout the field/paddock, grazing animals have to become less selective over the areas in which they graze increasing the risk of these conditions.
How to control buttercups:
Similar to other perennial weeds, the best control of buttercups is attained if they are sprayed while they are actively growing and before they have started flowering. If the opportunity to treat the buttercups has been missed it is possible to still spray them once they have flowered, however control can be 10% less effective than when it is applied during the pre-flowering stage.
If you have grazing animals, it is advised that there is a 7 day grazing interval however this is to be increased to 14 days if the infestation of buttercups is high.
For best overall control of buttercups, we recommend applying Envy or Leystar at 2L/ha in at least 200L of water per ha through boomspray. Alternatively they can be both applied through a knapsack sprayer at 100ml to 10L of water which would cover 500m2.
