Today's environmentally conscious producer has a lot to worry about, including manure management, wastewater runoff, and proper rotational grazing, not to mention the burden of horn flies. Reducing your herd's environmental "hoofprint" in the pasture can often lead to increased producer efficiency and profits.
One solution to increase efficiencies is by using rotational grazing or other techniques to improve weaning weights. Doing this will enhance the pasture's forage production and the use of resources to increase weight gain on marketable calves. However, the grazing period is where the calf will have the biggest environmental "hoofprint." You'll want to reduce the time your calves are on grass to save forage resources, boost the producer's economic sustainability, and increase environmental sustainability.
Altosid® IGR is a feed-through insect growth regulator (IGR) that delivers targeted control of horn flies with no known resistance. Unlike other products on the market, Altosid® IGR controls these flies by interrupting their life cycle in the pupal stage, preventing the emergence of biting adults rather than killing horn flies through direct toxicity.
Kenly Rogers notes, “Altosid® IGR and ClariFly® Larvicide do not have any environmental impact. They don’t have any toxicity when it comes to birds, wastewater, dung beetles, so there’s no concerns about it going into the streams or water waste.”
Because the level of this ingredient found in the manure of treated cattle does not affect beneficial insects, such as dung beetles and bees, and there are no harmful residues in meat or milk when used as directed. Because Altosid® IGR is a targeted product meant for horn fly control, you don't need to worry about it having any negative impact on these insects or stopping their life cycles. With Altosid® IGR, you can reduce the number of flies emerging out of any treated manure, allowing dung beetles to work in favor of producers by breaking down manure in pastures. Rogers points out, "They really just don't have that impact on the environment that a lot of those conventional pesticides do on the market today."
Altosid® IGR is able to exert its effect at very small concentrations, making it an ideal fly control choice for today's environmentally responsible cattle producer. As Rogers states, "Whenever I have a producer ask about the most environmentally conscious products, and economical product on the market, I 100% say that Altosid® IGR and ClariFly® Larvicide would be the best choices."
Learn more about reducing your herd's environmental "hoofprint" and increasing your profits and efficiency in the video below!
