New Weed Guide Available Online

Ohio and Indiana 2011 Weed Control Guide is out!

Tom Bechman

Published: Dec 30, 2010

What's new this year isn't exactly flooding the pipeline. Bill Johnson, Purdue University Extension weed specialist, working with Mark Loux at Ohio State University, was able to get what's new in herbicides on two, single-seeded pages. And that includes four new herbicide offerings for cereal crops. Wheat, the main cereal crop grown in Indiana, is still not a big player compared to corn and soybeans.

The new Guides are out, but much of the first printing has been distributed. However, you can access the Guide on line at the Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology Web site. Or if you would rather have your own printed copy of this large publication, you can order it by calling 614-292-1607.

The 194 page guide contains the latest in weed control recommendations. Both Indiana and Ohio weed control specialists put their heads together. Since the weed spectrums are similar in both states and the products available for weed control are relatively similar, the specialists decided a few years ago it was more efficient just to prepare one guide.

Why is it 194 pages if there only a handful of new products on the market for 2011 and most of those are new in name only? That's because despite the domination of glyphosate, there's still a myriad of products available on the market. The book describes where the various herbicides still on the market might have a fit in enhancing weed control, even if your main program is glyphosate or Ignite on Roundup Ready or Liberty Link crops.

Many of the herbicides that have reached the market in recent years are meant to partner with these products, and provide residual control against various hard-to-get weeds. There are also weeds that are resistant to glyphosate. Weed resistance is discussed in the new guide.

The guide also discusses herbicides for forages, and for small grains, typically cereal crops, primarily wheat. There are actually four new names in the cereal grain field this year. While wheat is not a major player in Indiana, there are still several farmers who grow some wheat. As the remaining people growing it move toward intensive management to up yield levels, weed control becomes one of the suggestions and recommendations some consultants use in high yield systems.

New names in cereal production for 2011 include Cleansweep D and Cleansweep M from Nufarm, Huskie from Bayer, and Power Flex from Dow AgroSciences. Power Flex represents new chemistry for this market.