Flashes of white clover among lush green pasture are rare in Missouri-but for dairy farmer Jerry Staiger, they signal success. After years of watching herbicides destroy both weeds and beneficial clover, Staiger has found a game-changer: NovaGraz, a herbicide that targets broadleaf weeds without eliminating white clover.

"This has always been the issue," Staiger says. "Weeds overtake pastures, but herbicides wipe out clover. Farmers ask me every spring, ‘How do I keep my clover?' And the answer used to be, ‘You can't.'"

Now, that's changed.

Field-Proven Innovation

On his southwest Missouri dairy farm, Staiger tested NovaGraz early, intrigued by its bold promise to "kill weeds, not clover." At first, the results looked worrying-white clover twisted and curled like it was dying. But within 14 to 21 days, it rebounded.

"It looked like I ruined it, but then I came back and saw the clover standing back up," Staiger recalls. "It metabolizes the herbicide faster than the weeds-that's the secret."

Brant Mettler, Corteva Agriscience's territory manager, says Missouri's "Show-Me" mentality was key: "Producers wanted to see proof from a neighbor before trying it themselves. Now they're lining up."

Why White Clover Matters

For livestock producers, maintaining white clover in pastures offers triple benefits:

• Dilutes toxic endophyte effects in tall fescue

• Naturally fixes nitrogen, reducing input costs

• Boosts overall forage quality and palatability

"Cattle won't eat weeds, but weeds steal nutrients, water, and sunlight," Staiger says. "By eliminating weeds, I get more pounds of gain. That's what matters."

Even so, some producers worry about clover-induced bloat. Staiger explains it's all about balance: "When clover is part of a mixed sward, not the whole field, animals can graze safely."

Timing, ROI, and the Future

NovaGraz works best in early spring, with minimal grazing restrictions post-application. It leaves no lasting residue, allowing for manure application or reseeding shortly after use.

With cattle prices at near-record highs, investing in more efficient pastures is smart business, says Mettler. "Forage is where it all starts."

Staiger's pasture management strategy includes 20% to 40% clover content, using rotational grazing to support herd health and productivity.

Meanwhile, breeders and agronomists are exploring new clover varieties-with larger leaves and higher protein-to push forage potential even further.

A New Mindset for Pasture Management

"We can finally say yes when a farmer wants to preserve clover," Staiger says. "Customers are now asking field by field to bring clover back in. That didn't happen before."

With NovaGraz in his toolkit, Staiger believes white clover is no longer a casualty of weed control-it's part of the pasture's future.