At this time of year, buttercups can start to dominate in leys, particularly in older grassland reduce grass quality, palatability, and overall productivity.

"Older grass swards will contain less productive grass species meaning buttercups can quickly dominate," says Dave Gurney, Corteva Field Technical Manager for Grassland Crop Protection Products.

 He says: "With deeper rooting systems than grass, buttercups can access nutrients and moisture not available to the grass, allowing them thrive, particularly in the drier conditions we have been experiencing recently."

 Creeping buttercup is the most common buttercup species in UK grassland. They have hairy leaves, with three lobes which appear to have 'frayed' edges. Creeping buttercup is distinguished from other buttercup species by the way it grows and spreads. It has stolons, also known as runners, which are horizontal stems which grow along the soil surface. They can root at the nodes, allowing the plant to spread rapidly and establish a network of interconnected stems.

 Creeping buttercup is a problem weed in many pastures and can also be problematic in horse paddocks where close grazing tends to open the sward.

 Dave adds: "Buttercups are poisonous to horses and livestock when ingested in large quantities, particularly in their fresh state. They contain a toxin called protoanemonin, which is released when the plant is crushed. It irritates the mouth and gastrointestinal tract and in extreme cases can cause convulsions, or even death. While animals generally avoid them due to their bitter taste, they may consume them if pasture is overgrazed, or if other forage is scarce." 

 Flowering from May to August with golden cupped flowers, creeping buttercup measures approximately 2cm across and can grow up to 50cm in height.

 Dave concludes: "Removal of buttercups is an important activity in grassland renovation to improve productivity, particularly where re-seeding is unlikely to take place for some time. Although it can be difficult to judge when buttercups will flower, post-flowering treatment is still a good option, even though control might be 10% lower than that achieved by a pre-flowering application."

 For best control of buttercup species in grassland and horse paddocks, use Envy® at 2.0 litre/ha when weeds are actively growing and before flowering.