Weed Control
Ryegrass is somewhat of a controversial plant. It was introduced to Oklahoma and Texas as a forage crop for pastures, but it also has a dark side: When it gets into crops, it can spread fast and can be very hard to control. Overuse of herbicides has led to herbicide-resistant strains, compounding the problem more and forcing researchers at Oklahoma State University to look at the problem and find new methods of control.
Quick! Take this quiz before you look at the chart. First, were perennial weeds more common today or in the 1940s? Second, which weeds have always given Midwesterners more fits, grasses or broadleaves? Finally, how many perennial weeds were among the recent top five common weeds?
A long-term scientific study shows herbicides may cause more problems than they resolve for large-scale treatment of invasive species.
The tendency of many beef producers fighting brush is to clear it all off — but that may not be a wise move.
A study in central Texas is proving the social value of brush control on rangeland.
No big game-changing herbicide products are cleared yet this year. But Bill Curran, Penn State University Extension weed specialist, says next-generation herbicide-resistant crops are one step closer.
In the Southwest, an exotic and invasive weed of riparian habitats and irrigation canals has become an absolute monster.
Sprayers and equipment for sprayers are a major draw at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. One reader says he’s going there to buy sprayer tips. He would like to buy one set of tips. He’ll spray Bicep early, then either glyphosate or glufos-inate on herbicide-tolerant hybrids.
Anyone who has sprayed 2,4-D knows it can drift and injure soybeans. Within two to three years, Dow AgroSciences hopes to introduce 2,4-D-tolerant corn, meaning 2,4-D may become popular again.
It’s controversial. It breaks rules, but not laws.
Like prophets crying in the wilderness, Larry Steckel and fellow weed scientists in the Mid-South have been sounding off about the coming woes of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, or pigweed.
We talked last month about choosing hybrids and varieties to plant — a daunting task by itself. To add to the challenge, you also get to pick from among many different seed treatments.
Growers across the Southeast wondered what would replace Deltapine’s 555 in their cotton fields.
Recent University of Georgia crop enterprise estimates suggest field corn has the potential to be one of the most profitable crops grown in this region in 2010. When I wrote this article in January, March to December corn contracts were selling between $4.21 to $4.48 per bushel. I hope it stays that way. Having corn in a rotation where atrazine and other modes of action can be used is a great way to combat glyphosate and ALS resistance!
When one door closes, another one opens.
Weeds are thieves, not only in the night, but also in the day.
Cheatgrass is a scourge for many ranchers in Wyoming and the West. It has the capability of turning desirable livestock and wildlife range into a hazy purple wasteland.
Is it financially worth controlling cheatgrass? That’s a question facing many ranchers in Wyoming and the West.
Wintry months of historically high and frequent rain, sleet and snow have provided some of the best prospects in years for crops in Texas and the Southwest this spring. But it also gave some mighty good prospects for weeds to run rampant.
Do you know how to identify glyphosate-resistant weeds in your fields this summer?
Tom Bauman’s roots in weed control date back to when cultivation was king. Farmers applied granular herbicides like Ramrod over the row. Today, they plant crops with built-in tolerance to broad-spectrum herbicides.
The Crops Corner panel of Indiana Certified Crop Advisers (see Page 22) tackled this tough question:
Lucky people hide the field they don’t want anyone to see in the back 40. Those less fortunate discover it’s the field right out front. If you’ve got a field of soybeans with glyphosate-resistant giant ragweed patches, maybe you don’t even want to see it.
Willis Smith’s No. 1 tip is to use a herbicide or combination of herbicides that targets the weeds you’re after. The Certified Crops Adviser with Senesacs also suggests using a mix with burndown capability. You still want residual activity to carry you as far into spring as possible. Beware, however, that you may then be committed to a specific crop.
Here’s a question you might find on an agricultural version of “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” If you could only spray Canada thistle during one season of the year, which would it be?
For cotton growers, frustration ruled in Arkansas and rains accelerated their problems in Tennessee.
A number of new herbicides and herbicide combinations have become available recently. Here’s a summary of some of the new ones, as well as a few introduced last year. Iowa State University Extension weed scientist Mike Owen provides this update.
Scouringrush has probably been around for some 300 million years. With no leaves and very little branching, it has several names like snake grass, jointed grass, horsetail or horsepipes. Unique and interesting, this hollow green-stemmed prehistoric plant in the horsetail family can become a problem weed when it creeps out of streams, waterways and marshy areas into corn and soybean fields.
If the good weather continues to hold through harvest, this fall will be the best time to get aggressive about weed control, especially if you’re dealing with dandelions, glyphosate-resistant weeds or plan to rotate out of an old alfalfa stand.
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program has been funding research to showcase new over-the-top solutions for controlling grass to allow sorghum growers better management opportunities and flexibility in crop rotations.
Although Texas and Oklahoma are neighboring states, they don’t always have the same weed problems, especially for winter wheat. Oklahoma fields recently have been invaded by grassy weeds, including cheatgrass and annual ryegrass. For many growers, that ryegrass has been exhibiting increased resistance to herbicides. More than 15,000 acres of wheat have ryegrass that displays some level of resistance, and it seems to be getting worse.
Texas crop farmers are advised to give serious consideration to rotating herbicides as the potential for resistance to certain compounds becomes more common, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist.
It’s been a difficult year for weed control. The issue isn’t that weeds in general have not been controlled by the herbicides, particularly those applied postemergence. Rather, the issue was finding the opportunities to make the applications in a timely manner.
Don Morishita, University of Idaho professor of weed science, reminds growers that moisture makes the weed.Some weed, like knapweed, are a problem in dry areas, while others such as foxtail are found in wet areas. Weed control can depend more on how much you irrigate.
It wasn’t too many years ago when we were thinking that Roundup was bulletproof. We figured we’d be applying it year after year across most of our acres. We now know that Roundup isn’t bulletproof, and growers all over the U.S. are figuring out how to manage their rotations and cropping plans differently.
In hand, even the experts can’t tell the difference between weed seeds that are resistant or susceptible to glyphosate.
Those already living the nightmare walk the fields with hoes in hand and a changed mindset. And those still staring into the abyss of weed resistance are flat-out scared.
It’s almost scary how serious the problem is, says Bob Nichols of Cotton Incorporated.
As part of the re-registration of the popular herbicide atrazine, farmers should adopt best management practices, or BMPs, to prevent runoff and ensure that atrazine remains a viable product, says a University of Missouri Extension water quality specialist.
Despite record soybean production in 2010, yields could have been even better, says a University of Missouri Extension specialist. One reason was green stem syndrome, or GSS.
In February’s issue, Penn State University Extension weed specialists Bill Curran and Dwight Lingenfelter teamed up with Cornell University’s Russ Hahn for an update on corn and soybean weed control. They noted that common chickweed seemed to be developing resistance to Harmony SG, Harmony Extra and products containing thifensulfuron’s mode of control in small grains.
Maybe your Achilles heel is marestail. Or perhaps it’s giant ragweed. Whatever weed you fear may become resistant, Danny Greene offers tips to thwart future spread of resistance. Greene, a certified crops adviser, operates Greene Consulting Inc., Franklin.
When it comes to postemergent weed control in corn, timing is everything. While the vast use of glyphosate herbicides and herbicide-tolerant seed has curbed weed pressure, the development of resistant weeds has made the timing of weed control more important than ever. If farmers wait too long in the growing season to treat, they can expect yield reductions.
With current advantageous grain prices and our ability to produce impressive yields, we have the potential to generate some great gross margins this year if the weather cooperates and we implement sound crop and pest management. Let’s focus on one key management strategy in this article: using a residual herbicide to complement your post-program in corn and soybean fields.
Texas cattle raisers have another way to get weed control in pastures — in one step.
New Clearfield wheat varieties are clearing the way for more rapid adoption of the Beyond herbicide technology, but growers are warned to pay close attention to new supplemental labels for the herbicide to assure they are using it correctly and legally.
Waterhemp has done it again. University of Illinois researchers have confirmed that waterhemp is the first weed to evolve resistance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides — after escaping glyphosate, ALS inhibitors and PPO inhibitors.
"Learn from our mistakes,” says Ford Baldwin, of Practical Weed Consultants, Austin, Ark. “You can avoid all this.”
In a lab, some 1,300 miles away from the nearest Mid-South rice field, a researcher works to learn what makes a weed a weed.
A consistent theme these days is the need to provide stewardship for weed control when planting corn and soybean varieties that are resistant to glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides. The goal of promoting stewardship is to preserve the value these traits and herbicides bring to agriculture.
Herbicide resistance of Italian ryegrass is glowing brightly on the Pacific Northwest research radar.
In more ways than one, Arkansas has become the Wild West of weed pressure. The weeds are out of control. Farmers are desperate. Some folks are facing full-blown glyphosate-resistant populations of giant ragweed, common ragweed, johnsongrass, marestail and waterhemp.
By now, most have probably heard of Enlist, Dow AgroSciences’ new weed control cropping system that will launch in corn in 2013 and in soybeans in 2015. For those who haven’t, in a nutshell, it combines glyphosate tolerance with 2,4-D tolerance.
When Scott Williams goes to the field, he wants to spend as much time spraying as possible. That means making fast but accurate fill-ups. Williams and Jason Misiniec built a semi-bed spray trailer that acts as a mobile fill-up station for a self-propelled sprayer.
No-till farming has numerous benefits, but one issue that comes with the practice is trees sprouting up in fields next to corn and soybeans.
Warm weather and summer storms aren’t just favorable for growing corn. Weeds flourish as well in this state. Although Nebraska has 11 designated noxious weeds, landowners have a variety of resources that they can use to distinguish friend from foe.
"Change” is a word tossed about a lot nowadays in political circles. Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth (aka careless weed or pigweed) found in far West Texas this growing season will require growers to change their weed management from just glyphosate herbicide alone.
Weed resistance to herbicides continues to become a more widespread problem in Iowa and elsewhere, as evidenced by the number of weedy fields late in the 2011 growing season.
Yea, I know, I’m one of the guys who have been pounding the rock, promoting the use of residual herbicides to increase productivity and profitability, and help manage herbicide resistance. Now I bring you this topic: potential carryover of some of these same residual herbicides. Go ahead and say it; I can take it. As the guys on Monday Night Countdown say, “C’mon, man!”
There are so many combinations of ways to control brush it is mind boggling. But hold on — think it out before you start.
With rough weather blanketing the nation at the beginning of the growing season last spring, weed control has been much more of a challenge this year. Yet, growers fighting escaped weeds still have the opportunity to start fresh next year by implementing a fall burndown program.
Weeds are a real pain. For organic farmers, weeds are the biggest obstacle in a quest for high yields and profitability. Because organic growers can’t use herbicides, cultivation and hand weeding are their most widely used options.
Those who thought there would only be a handful of chemical companies left by now miscalculated. FMC Corp. began a transition from a company just selling insecticides to a company selling herbicides with Authority, and then Cadet, five years ago.
Due to a combination of conditions, some soybean fields aren’t as clean as usual, even with Roundup Ready varieties sprayed with glyphosate. Is this a year when it might pay to spray fields with green weeds early so harvest goes smoother?
When you take a four-wheel drive out for a spin, you could be bringing home more than memories.
What’s new in weed management for 2012? While there haven’t been any new herbicide products introduced for 2012 (as of this writing), there are several products pending registration. There are some “new” generic herbicides and changes in herbicide labels. Following is a partial list of these changes. The list is provided by Mike Owen, Iowa State University Extension weed scientist.
Without a doubt, weed resistance to herbicide was the hot topic at the 2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Orlando, Fla.
When glyphosate resistance reared its ugly head in the Delta, Keith Baioni listened to farmers and came up with a way to help.
June-like weather in March gave weeds a huge head start this spring. Soil temperatures in March matched what Iowa normally has in late April and early May. A mild winter and warm spring create greater weed challenges, especially for no-tillers. Winter annuals can turn fields green by late March. And weeds such as marestail grow faster and reach stages difficult to control much sooner than in a “normal” spring.
No farmer would argue that allowing weeds to grow with a soybean crop reduces yield and profit potential. But some may argue at exactly what point weeds begin to steal yield. “Anytime a weed emerges and begins growing, it competes with the crop for nutrients, water, sunlight and space,” says Jim Frederick, Syngenta agronomy representative in southern Iowa. “If left unchecked, emerged weeds can cause problems and reduce yields.”
Does anybody really care about glyphosate-resistant weeds? It seems there are a few farmers who are avoiding glyphosate-resistant weeds by rotating LibertyLink or conventional varieties in their corn-soybean rotations, and there are the majority who are planning to use mainly glyphosate until it quits working, and then add pres and tankmix partners for the extra $10 to $20 per acre.
Wet conditions over the past couple of years have resulted in greater populations of foxtail barley, a very difficult weed to control in no-till wheat. Although foxtail barley flourishes in wet, alkaline soils, it can also spread over an entire field. It is difficult to control because it is a clump-type perennial that grows rapidly in the spring and matures relatively early, often around the end of May or early June. After its first year of growth, it can be nearly
Glyphosate-resistant kochia is becoming more common in northern South Dakota between the Missouri River and Highway 281. This could become a challenging weed in Roundup Ready soybeans as there are few effective postemergence herbicides available.
Glyphosate-resistant waterhemp can be managed in Roundup Ready sugarbeets.
Bob Fuchs doesn’t wait until spring to begin combating weeds.
The evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds is not a new issue. But the problem has come to the forefront with widespread use of glyphosate and more difficulties with weeds resistant to the herbicide. A national summit in May identified strategies to address herbicide-resistant weeds where they have emerged and identify steps to act proactively (use best management practices) to preempt further evolution.
Cotton growers have the opportunity to use LibertyLink varieties again this year, giving them a new option against weeds, most notably glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth. But North Carolina State University weed specialist Alan York says growers must work together to avoid allowing weeds the opportunity to develop resistance to glufosinate, the new herbicide product that LibertyLink varieties can tolerate.
If this story was just about new herbicide active ingredients, it would be very short, notes Bill Johnson, Purdue University Extension weed control specialist. The pipeline on brand-new products is running very lean, he says. However, there are new names and new combinations of existing ingredients.
Waterhemp is a weed that’s starting to make noise in Indiana. Bill Johnson, a Purdue University weed control specialist, recently issued a press release about waterhemp.
Farm shows aren’t just about huge machinery. Companies also debut new herbicides and other products that could help you do a better job next spring. Here are options for new herbicides, or ways to make existing programs work better.
Herbicide-resistant weeds continue to gain ground in Nebraska in 2011, prompting University of Nebraska specialists to call for more integrated weed management programs that include rotating products with different modes of action.
When Palmer amaranth or pigweed resistance to glyphosate herbicide was confirmed on the Texas High Plains in Terry County near the New Mexico border last summer and fall, it was a wake-up call.
Labeled an “explosive topic,” glyphosate disease susceptibility and weed resistance was high on the agenda for the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association’s annual meeting in Spokane, Wash., earlier this year.
North Dakota State University agronomists are receiving many phone calls and email messages about suspected herbicide-resistant weeds this summer.
Common tansy was recently identified along a roadside in northeast South Dakota. This weed has been well established in western Minnesota for several years, so it is not too surprising to see it in eastern South Dakota, says Mike Moechnig, South Dakota State University Extension weed specialist.
The 2013 Herbicide Guide for Iowa Corn and Soybean Production can be accessed at www.weeds.iastate.edu. The publication provides an update of new herbicide products, as well as a effectiveness chart for herbicides used in soybean and corn production.
Back in 2007, Kansas State University specialists confirmed the presence of glyphosate-resistant kochia in Kansas. In 2010, they added several confirmed sites of problems.
Volunteer corn growing in soybean fields that originated from Bt corn the year before may be much more onerous than it looks. One possible negative effect is obvious: soybean yield loss. The other downside is more subtle, but could be just as damaging. It relates to promoting insect resistance.
This fifth article in the Tough No-till Q&A series tackles evaluating no-till crop stands. Russell McLucas, Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance board member, and Del Voight, Penn State University Extension grain crop specialist, address concerns and the secrets to high-yielding stands.
Weed control systems expanded for 2010 if you’re using Roundup Ready or LibertyLink hybrids. Several new options are designed to help improve overall weed control in these systems.
Your December Indiana Prairie Farmer featured 10 pictures in the annual Indiana Prairie Farmer/Beck’s Hybrids Crops Knowledge contest. If you don’t have your issue handy, visit www.IndianaPrairieFarmer.com on the Web, click “More Indiana Prairie Farmer,” then “Magazines Online.” You’ll find the story on Page 7 in the December issue.
If you’ve ever cleaned spray nozzles and found one or more was still plugged when you got back in the cab, you’ll be interested in an innovation that DeWayne Jones came up with. Jones was one of 15 farmers and ranchers from around the country who brought their equipment modifications, marketing techniques and other innovations to the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in Seattle.
At the time I penned this article in November, July 2010 soybeans were trading for $9.72 per bushel. Thus, interest in soybean production remains strong. One of the newest weed management tools to hit the market is the LibertyLink soybean system. Many growers are counting on this system to help them control glyphosate- and ALS-resistant weeds. This system can work, but it’s not foolproof. Here are some useful tips based on my experiences.
Meticulous management, both in the field and the office, make the difference in profit or loss for dryland cotton on the Rolling Plains of Texas.
Wait to increase soybean yields? Then imagine putting the crop’s maximum yield potential — around 100 bushels per acre today — in a bucket, a bucket with six or seven holes in it, advises Karen Corrigan, of McGillicuddy Corrigan Agronomics.
John Majerus of Cedar Rapids worked on his first prescribed burn this spring as a new member of the 3-year-old Central Nebraska Prescribed Burn Association. He and eight other members conducted the burn on a 30-acre native pasture owned by Pete Berthelsen of St. Paul.
If I had a dollar for every time I shared or heard that old adage “Time is money,” I wouldn’t have been stuck in Iowa all winter. Time is always at a premium during planting season, and I have a feeling this season it’ll be even more valuable.
This final 2010 Q&A series article targets what David Mortensen, a Penn State weed scientist, told members of a U.S. House Oversight Committee this summer was a weed resistance problem so serious that new strategies are needed to combat it. In fact, Mortensen proposed restrictions on use of herbicide-tolerant crops and a tax on biotech seeds to fund research and educational programs for farmers.
Steve Alsabrook keeps a sharp eye on inputs at Alsabrook Farms at Haskell, Texas. He writes his own spreadsheets from cotton to cattle gains, or any other commodity in the diverse farming operation, and plugs in his input costs to figure his breakeven prices.
You’ve got an opportunity to raise non-GMO soybeans and/or corn for a premium. There’s just one problem. How will you control weeds without glyphosate for Roundup Ready or Ignite for LibertyLink crops?