CASE STUDY

NutraFix Micronutrients Outperforms Herbicide Alone in Boosting Perennial Grasses on Depleted Montana Pasture Without Seeding

Study Name

Improved perennial grass growth with NutraFix® Micronutrient Fertilizer with or without Rejuvra® application.

Location

Southwestern Montana, along the Madison River.

Overview

On a cheatgrass-dominated ranch along the Madison River, a field study evaluated NutraFix® Micronutrient Fertilizer both alone and in combination with Rejuvra® (Indaziflam) herbicide. The results showed that NutraFix—whether applied alone or paired with herbicide—produced greater perennial grass cover than Rejuvra alone, even without seeding.

Figure 1:

Ranch site prior to fertilizer application, a dense field of cheatgrass.

Figure 2:

est plot, the left side has NutraFix and Rejuvra applied, the right side has NutraFix alone.

Background

This privately owned ranchland near the corrals sits on flat ground historically overtaken by annual invasive grasses, particularly cheatgrass. Key site conditions included:

Land had never been tilled
No fencing, allowing continuous wildlife and livestock grazing
No seeding during the study
Past wildfires in the area increasing urgency for vegetation improvement

Poor soil quality from gravelly alluvium, combined with arid climate conditions, made establishing perennial grasses particularly difficult.

The Problem

The site had undergone a full cheatgrass takeover caused by:

Long-term soil degradation
Arid climate
Shallow, gravelly soils
Lack of moisture retention
Intense wildfire history

Cheatgrass created a dangerous fuel load—posing severe wildfire risk and depressing forage quality for livestock and wildlife.

Site Challenges

This location faced unique obstacles:

Heavy recreational use: ~48,000 visitors each summer
Frequent introduction of non-native seeds via vehicles, campers, and gear
No fencing to separate grazing animals
A depleted seedbank and poor soil fertility

The site required a solution that could stimulate perennial vegetation without relying on reseeding.

Application Rates and Methods

The field study tested NutraFix both alone and paired with Rejuvra herbicide:

NutraFix Application Rates

212 lbs/acre
424 lbs/acre

Treatment Types

NutraFix alone
NutraFix + Rejuvra® (Indaziflam)
Rejuvra alone (comparison control)

No seeding was performed, isolating the role of soil nutrient enhancement and herbicide synergy.

Figure 3:

Average perennial grass cover in test plots over time.

The Results:

✔ NutraFix Alone Improved Perennial Grass Cover

Even without seeding, NutraFix stimulated the existing seedbank and suppressed cheatgrass enough to allow perennials to recover.

✔ NutraFix + Rejuvra Performed Best Overall

Combining nutrient enhancement with herbicide weed control led to the highest perennial vegetation cover.

✔ Rejuvra Alone Underperformed

Herbicide treatment alone elicited a lower perennial response, highlighting the importance of soil nutrient availability in degraded rangelands.

Key Takeaway

NutraFix restored native plant vigor in areas where cheatgrass had suppressed growth for years.

What We Learned

This Madison River trial revealed several important insights:

NutraFix—alone or paired with Rejuvra—outperformed herbicide alone.
Improving soil nutrient density is essential in highly depleted or gravelly soils.
NutraFix can activate dormant perennial seedbanks even with no reseeding.
NutraFix + Rejuvra shows promising potential as a “weed & feed” strategy, combining weed suppression with soil enhancement.
This approach may offer a scalable solution for ranchers battling invasive annual grasses.

Conclusion

For ranchland along the Madison River, NutraFix Micronutrient Fertilizer proved more effective than herbicide alone in boosting perennial grasses. When combined with Rejuvra, the results were even stronger—supporting a promising integrated “weed & feed” approach for degraded rangelands plagued by cheatgrass.

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Case Study PDF