New NovaGraz™ herbicide controls pasture weeds, preserves valuable white clover and more

Corteva Agriscience announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered NovaGraz™ herbicide.¹ As the only pasture herbicide to give cattle producers broad-spectrum weed control while still preserving white clover and annual lespedeza², NovaGraz meets a long-standing need.

″Many producers rely on white clover and annual lespedeza in their pastures to improve forage quality for grazing and haying and for the legumes’ nitrogen-fixing capability to enhance soil fertility and health,″ said Morgan Bohlander, portfolio marketing lead, U.S. Range & Pasture, Corteva Agriscience. ″Without effective broadleaf weed control, the harm that weeds cause to forage production and quality can outweigh the benefits of these legumes.″

White clover improves both grazing quality and quantity, and enhances soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.

Eliminating weeds in white clover pastures can increase the amount of forage produced and improves utilization. In research trials where NovaGraz herbicide controlled broadleaf weeds and preserved white clover, pastures produced 21% more total forage, compared with untreated sites.³

″NovaGraz herbicide allows producers to eliminate undesirable, low-value weeds without also removing white clover,″ said Sam Ingram, Ph.D., field scientist, Corteva Agriscience. Extensive research shows that by preserving white clover and annual lespedeza in tall fescue pastures, producers can mitigate fescue toxicosis, which can increase stocker cattle average gains by up to 50%.

″Anytime those gains come from grazed forages, it benefits the livestock producer’s bottom line,″ Ingram said.

Ragweed and other broadleaf weeds can limit forage production and pasture utilization while crowding out valuable forage. A few months after an application of new NovaGraz™ herbicide near Sleeper, Missouri, the treated (left) side of the photo contains a desirable mix of grass, white clover and annual lespedeza. Broadleaf weeds dominate the untreated portion (right).

Multiple years of testing show NovaGraz herbicide, powered by Rinskor^® active, provides broad-spectrum control of important broadleaf species, including ironweed, cocklebur, wild carrot, buttercup, biennial thistles, ragweeds, plantain, woolly croton, poison hemlock and many others.

In addition, NovaGraz herbicide:

• Controls a broad spectrum of weeds in pastures, rangeland, hayfields and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres.

• Carries no grazing restrictions for beef cattle and only minimal haying and manure restrictions after application.

• Provides effective, broad-spectrum weed control where a non-residual option is desired for maximum flexibility in hay marketing and crop rotation.

• Provides high-quality, diverse grazing, which can increase per-acre beef production.

NovaGraz herbicide will be available for the 2025 application season, pending state registrations. NovaGraz herbicide complements the industry’s most complete portfolio of pasture and rangeland management products and services from Corteva Agriscience, including DuraCor^® herbicide, GrazonPD3™ herbicide, Remedy^® herbicides and UltiGraz℠ Pasture Weed & Feed.

¹NovaGraz™ herbicide was previously referred to in technical communications as ProClova™ herbicide.

²White clover and annual lespedeza exhibit some initial injury (such as lodging and loss of vigor) but will recover.

³Sleugh, B., Corteva, et al. Can I Keep My Clover? Rinskor Active: A New Herbicide Enabling Selective Broadleaf Weed Control in White Clover-Grass Pastures. Weed Science Society of America-Western Society of Weed Science Joint Meeting, March 2-4, 2020, Maui, HI.