Select Herbicide When You Buy Seed
What herbicides will you be using next summer?
I can just hear you saying – “Why in the heck is he asking that when I just parked the tractor in the shed for the winter and deer hunting is in full swing? “
I’ll tell you why. There is no question that weeds were more of an issue this past summer with the longer growing season coupled with the increase in glyphosate-resistant weeds. To meet next summer’s weed challenges, you’ll need to plan your weed control program now so it coincides with your seed purchases this winter.
The use of pre-emerge herbicides is on the increase – and rightfully so. It is one of the best ways, in our tight cropping system, to introduce new herbicides into your rotation. Planning should include what and where each crop will be planted as well as the rotational restrictions of the herbicides for each piece of ground. The use of a pre-emerge herbicide allows longer flexibility for spraying in-crop herbicides and may replace one of the POST passes as well.
I used a PRE on all our replicated plots this past spring. The dry weather did not seem to hurt the weed control much. It appears chemical activity was reduced some but the fields were much cleaner than previous years. I attribute that success to the PRE.
The newer herbicide resistant cropping system of LibertyLink soybeans has grown in popularity, resulting in tight supplies of Liberty herbicide for next year. I recommend that LL soybean customers purchase their Liberty herbicide well ahead of planting to ensure they have a supply available for their acres. The Liberty system has proven to be a good tool for resistant-weed management but it must be managed differently than glyphosate. Once again a PRE herbicide is recommended along with two POST applications.
Volunteer corn will be another issue in soybean fields next season and will need to be managed. With two fall seasons in a row of drier than normal corn, we’ve seen increased header loss during harvest. These kernels will rob your yield next year and cannot be left unmanaged. Research by SDSU has shown that 5,000 plants/acre can reduce yields by up to 20%, costing you nearly $140/acre. Controlling this corn is an easy decision when considering a $5/acre application will eliminate the problem.
Make sure to consider all your inputs this fall as you do your crop planning. Check into the various systems and products available for your area that can help you maintain cleaner fields. Doing your homework now will lead to higher yields next season.
