CASE STUDY
Pasture Improvement Project
Study Name
Pasture Improvement Project
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Location
Private land in Montrose, CO
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Overview
On a historically overgrazed and nutrient-depleted pasture in Montrose, Colorado, a combination of controlled burning, NutraFix® Micronutrient Fertilizer, and regenerative cover cropping led to rapid establishment of desirable forage species and major suppression of Russian knapweed—a notoriously aggressive perennial weed.
Background
This pasture had endured decades of intensive grazing, nutrient depletion, and widespread weed takeover. When new ownership began managing the property, they aimed to:
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Implement regenerative cover cropping systems
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Improve forage quality for livestock
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Introduce flood irrigation to support soil restoration
However, the site’s degraded condition made establishing desirable species extremely difficult without soil nutrient support.
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The Problem
One of the biggest challenges on this property was Russian knapweed, an invasive perennial weed known for:
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Deep, persistent root systems
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Spreading aggressively through creeping rhizomes
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Rapid regrowth even after mowing or trimming
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Outcompeting desirable forage species
To restore the pasture, the landowner needed a strategy powerful enough to suppress knapweed while helping cover crops take hold quickly.
​Site Challenges
Key limitations included:
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Severely depleted soil nutrients
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Heavy weed pressure
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Deep-rooted, hard-to-eradicate rhizomes
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A long history of land overuse
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Poor conditions for seed establishment
Russian knapweed is especially difficult to manage because the underground rhizomes survive most disturbance and re-sprout aggressively.
Application Rates and Methods
To begin restoring the pasture, the landowner used a multi-step regenerative system:
1. Controlled Burning (April 2024)
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Reduced decadent vegetation
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Opened the soil surface for reseeding
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Weakened mature knapweed stems
2. NutraFix Application
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100 lbs/acre of NutraFix Micronutrient Fertilizer
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Applied immediately after burning
3. Cover Crop Seeding
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Triticale
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Beardless barley
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Oats
4. Flood Irrigation
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Supported rapid cover crop establishment
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Improved soil moisture and nutrient uptake
Results: Strong Cover Crop Growth & Suppressed Knapweed
The combination of burning, NutraFix, and irrigation produced fast, dramatic improvements:
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✔ Rapid Seedling Establishment
Cover crops germinated and grew quickly in nutrient-rich soil.
✔ Desirable Forage Outcompeted Knapweed
Healthy, dense cover crops prevented Russian knapweed from dominating.
Knapweed regrowth was very low in treated areas.
✔ Long-Term Strategy in Place
A second, lighter NutraFix application is planned for Spring 2025 to continue suppressing persistent rhizomes and support ongoing pasture recovery.
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What We Learned
Key insights from this pasture improvement project:
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NutraFix accelerates the rapid establishment of seeded forage species.
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When desirable plants establish quickly, they naturally suppress invasive weeds, including rhizomatous species like Russian knapweed.
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Controlled burning, NutraFix application, seeding, and irrigation form a highly effective regenerative system.
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Soil nutrient enhancement is essential for shifting degraded pastures to productive, healthy forage landscapes.
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Conclusion
This Montrose pasture transformation demonstrates how NutraFix Micronutrient Fertilizer, when combined with regenerative cover cropping and irrigation, can suppress even the most aggressive invasive weeds. The result is a healthier pasture with strong forage production and long-term ecological improvement.
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Have a Restoration Project? Let's Talk.
Email us: info@edaphix.com