I plan to attempt some no till fall food plots this year and need to kill the existing pasture grass. Is there an herbicide that will kill the grass, be safe for grazing livestock, and allow for planting within 2-4 weeks?

Based on my research, glyphosate isn’t safe to graze for two months. 24d & Grazon are safe but can’t be planted for 2-4 months after spraying.

Are there any other alternatives?

https://greengobbler.com/blogs/all/vinegar-weed-killer-how-does-it-work

What tools do you have? Why not just mow and plant right into what's already there? Mowing right now will kill off the majority of what's there.

I would broadcast the seed and then mow over it. Keeps the birds from eating it and the layer of thatch will hold moisture and get your seed germinated a lot of times (should it ever rain).

Yep. That's what I would do. Save the time and money of spraying.

I am hearing two- three things here, please correct me if needed:
1. Kill the grass for a food plot.
2. Be safe for live stock grazing.
3. remove the grass, so not compete with food plot species

Killing the grass removes it from grazing, If you need the grazing, then graze to the dirt, then spray and plant your food plot. You can plant on soil contact by pulling a heavy post over it or piece of weighted chain link fence over scattered seeds. But once the grass is killed it is gone till the seed bank kicks in and grass grows this spring. Summer grasses put on seed and fall moisture/winter is for root growth, so the planting need to done before grass seed fall and fall moisture for grass root growth. if there is good growth then mowing may not seed to come in contact with the soil, depends on the grass cover.

another option is to burn it use ground moisture to grow the natives forbs and what ever you plant. Then again the grass seed bank will kick in the spring.
good luck

Sounds like a great idea to try on a new tract I'll be hunting this year after the landowner has made his last hay cutting. Not wanting his hay meadow plowed in any way, I was thinking about over seeding a strip where the pasture meets a heavily wooded bedding area. My thoughts are it might be enough to get deer to step out into the edge of the pasture late in the evening.

Thanks for passing along.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I don’t have much in the way of implements except bush hog, sprayer, and drag harrow.

I wasn’t sure if I would get enough seed to soil contact without spraying existing vegetation - although most of it is dead from drought already. I don’t need this pasture for grazing, but don’t have cross fencing to keep livestock off of it either and didn’t want to risk hurting the cattle.

I plan to seed, fertilize, & mow a few weeks from now before a good rain. I plan to plant about 2 acres of the Turner Seed Fall Deer mix and test two smaller plots 1) with some turnips & radishes and 2) clover.

Let me know if you all have any other suggestions on planting or seed, since this is my first attempt.

If cattle have access to this food plot they will wipe it out. You are wasting your time and money IMO. I would put that money spent on the food plot into feeding extra corn.

agree, if livestock has access, you are wasting your time ...

Ok...fair enough...it looks like I need to get some electric fences.

electric fence is cheap insurance if you have access to electricity close by. I guess now days there are probably battery and/or solar powered fence chargers. The battery powered ones I used 20+ years ago weren't that great but I'm sure there have been drastic improvements utilizing solar panels.