ragwort

What is it?

Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea L.) is one of the most frequent causes of plant poisoning of livestock in the UK. It's one of the injurious weeds specified in the Weeds Act 1959.

What dose it do

Ponies are more susceptible to Ragwort poisoning than other livestock. Young stock are more susceptible than mature animals.
Ragwort poisoning can occur at anytime of year - dried grass, hay also silage are all common sources.
Ragwort acts as a cumulative poison, eventually destroying the liver.
A small intake of Ragwort over a long period can be just as damaging as a large intake on a single occasion.
Little can be done for an animal once the clinical symptoms appear.
CLINICAL SYMPTOMS
Loss of condition, poor appetite and constipation, sometimes jaundice.
Continuous futile attempts to pass feces often result in prolapsed of the rectum.
Late stages - nervous signs develop restlessness and aimless uncoordinated movement.
Animals may appear blind, pressing heads against solid objects, eventual partial paralysis.
When these signs appear, death follows within a few hours.

How do you control Ragwort in pasture?

Ragwort will not establish where there is a dense vigorous sward. Such a pasture can be best achieved through controlled grazing and/or regular fertilizer applications. Both over and under grazing create open patches where Ragwort can readily establish itself. It's important to remove all potential sources of poisoning as quickly as possible. To remove the danger to your pony a strategy of both short and long term methods should be adopted.

Short/Long Term Ragwort infestations

Pulling
Needs to be done before flowering has completed.
More easily pulled in the spring when the plant is immature.
Needs to be carried out for at least 2yrs, as Ragwort is a biennial, if the pasture has a history of Ragwort infestation this will have to be carried out annually due to the remaining seeds in the soil. It's important to remove as much of the root as possible; Ragwort can re-generate from its root fragments. Digging out the entire plant will reduce the possibility of leaving root fragments. Cutting the early flowering stage reduces seed production.
It's acceptable in an emergency situation, but generally is not recommended since it encourages more vigorous re-growth.

Long term Large Ragwort infestations

Weed killers A single application of weed killer will not completely eliminate an infestation due to overlapping generations of the weed.
The time of year to apply the weed killer depends on when it's noticed, but early spring and then in the late summer is a good guide.

Rosette Stage First Noticed in spring, then the first application should be late April or May.
Flowering Stage

First noticed then first application should be in October before frost damages the foliage. In either case the second application should be made late April the following calendar year. Apply in mild weather when the vegetation is dry and rain is not expected for at least five hours. To avoid wastage and drift, spray on a calm day. All paddocks should be sprayed at the same time to avoid infestation.

How to apply

Spot treatment

Use a knapsack sprayer with a systemic total weed killer is effective.

Weed wiper

Use a brush, glove or stick with a total systemic total weed killer. It should be remembered that selective weed killers also control other broad-leafed plants, therefore leaves areas of thin grass sward. Regular fertilization of the land to encourage root development of grasses makes a valuable contribution to preventing reinfestation.
Follow the advice and codas of the product safely and effectively NEVER NEVER HANDLE WITH OUT PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Biological control

Are there any recent successes in biological control of weeds? Yes. The biggest success story of the 1980's was the dramatic reduction of tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaeae) by the Ragwort Flea Beetle (Longitarsus jacobaeae) combined with the defoliating Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae). By the early 70's, tansy Ragwort had infested tens of thousands of acres of pasture and rangeland along the West Coast of America. Ragwort Flea Beetles and Cinnabar Moths were then released throughout the Pacific Northwest as part of intensive biological control programs. By the mid-80's, tansy Ragwort had been successfully controlled throughout most of its range. In fact, reports from Oregon indicated 90% reductions in Ragwort populations!

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