CAROLINE, Alta. – A carpet of bright yellow flowers in a pasture may be a symptom of other problems, says a range management specialist.
“Dandelions are the symptom. They are not necessarily a problem by themselves,” said Albert Kuipers, forage manager of the Grey Wooded Forage Association in central Alberta.
“Nature hates a void so if we have done something on our land with our management where we have created some kind of a void, dandelions like to move in.”
He told a pasture management meeting in Caroline that research has shown applying fertilizer and herbicide to pastures improves forage productivity even during drought. Better grass and legume production may reduce the need for herbicides.
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Pastures with fertility problems may contain many small, blooming dandelions interspersed with poor growing grasses.
On his own farm, Kuipers noticed that plant growth was vigorous when pig manure from a neighboring farm was applied to his pasture. The few remaining dandelions appeared healthy but few bloomed and set seeds.
“Where we had spread the pig manure we got piles of grass and the dandelions that were in there were not nearly as noticeable,” he said.
A moisture shortage may encourage dandelion growth and the weed appears more prevalent in drought years.
A few dandelions in a pasture may not necessarily be a bad thing. Kuipers said the leaves are fairly palatable and contain about 14.5 percent protein. They are also good sources of vitamins A, C and E and can be used in forage, although they take longer to dry in hay windrows.
They may be difficult to graze because they grow close to the ground.
“I consider dandelions part of the salad, part of the variety of plants that livestock can graze,” Kuipers said.
