Hello DeSoto and Sarasota county producers!

The phones are ringing and the emails are rolling in: it is smutgrass season and we are hearing from folks who need help making a plan to keep it under control. I worked with Dr. Brent Sellers, the pasture weed specialist at the Range Cattle Research Station in Ona to pull together answers to the most commonly asked questions about smutgrass management.

View the new Smutgrass FAQ factsheet

Smutgrass is quickly becoming the worst pasture weed in our region of Florida. For those of you on my email list who are fruit and vegetable growers, you might be seeing this very invasive grass along ditches, field edges, and in fallowed fields. Each smutgrass plant produces about 50,000 very tiny seeds that can travel rapidly via water, wind, machinery, livestock, and the soles of your boots. If you see this very invasive grass anywhere on your farm, do what you can to prevent it spreading.

Note that a light infestation can turn into a major infestation very quickly if the smutgrass isn’t being managed.

Light smutgrass infestation

Pasture with a heavy infestation of smutgrass

All my best to all of you

Sarah

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