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 with the ability to outcompete notoriously aggressive perennial weeds - such as Russian knapweed.
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 establish seeded cover crops that would outcompete weedy invaders.
​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 as continued support of the soil health in the restored pasture.
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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 promote desirable perennial vegetation that outcompetes invasive species. 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