Farm Progress

Seven tips for growers on using the new soybean trait technology.

November 17, 2016

4 Min Read

Editor’s Note: Josh Croatt is a technical sales agronomist for DuPont Crop Protection in northwest Iowa.

As I was riding with a grower in his combine during harvest, he looked out over the resistant waterhemp, velvetleaf escapes and marestail populations throughout the field and said, “I am really looking forward to planting seed with the new soybean trait so I can use dicamba to burn down the weeds in these fields.”

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I applaud his acceptance of new technology – in this case, dicamba-tolerant soybeans – as a way to gain a competitive edge, but I cautioned him about expecting too much from a single herbicide. The good news is that he is working with me and his other agronomy advisers on a comprehensive crop protection plan for 2017 to help ensure he’ll have a successful season.

Weed seeds are now in the bank for 2017

Certain parts of the territory I cover in Iowa and southern Minnesota saw dry weather early in 2016, so herbicide applications were not as effective as they could have been. Others experienced record periods of wetness. With sufficient moisture later in the season and plenty of late weed germination, the weed seed bank is now full. Weed pressure will definitely be increased on many acres rotating from corn to soybeans. Those fields in 2015 were some of the roughest.

You can avoid yield loss due to weed competition by planning now for 2017, so you can get ahead of weeds, start out clean for planting and keep your fields clean all season long.

Plan-plan-plan and take the 7 steps for weed control success

Here are my seven tips for weed-control success in 2017, with or without new trait technology:

1.      Evaluate. Look back now at what worked on your farm this year, and decide what you need to change. Be deliberate about this; the best approach is a field-by-field evaluation.

2.      Start clean. Use a soil-applied preemergence herbicide treatment to stop resistant weeds before they have a chance to come up.

3.      Mix it up. Use a comprehensive herbicide program. You want a sequential weed-control program that brings multiple modes of action into the field. Certain dicamba products provide thorough burndown which works well in combination with glyphosate and other residual herbicides. Choose herbicide modes of action that are new to your fields or are known to be effective on the specific weeds you’re going after.

4.      Don’t fear the unknown. Most farmers haven’t yet had experience with the newest technology like the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend trait with dicamba tolerance. Change can be good if it benefits your operation. Dicamba, like this new technology, for instance, can help control weeds that have become resistant to other herbicide active ingredients. Dicamba will perform well in wet, cool conditions where some other herbicides can’t keep weeds down.

5.      Watch the weather. From the start of the cropping season all the way through, the key is to make applications in suitable weather, both for the best weed-control activity and to be sure you get the most active ingredient on target weeds. Current-generation mobile technology has apps that will forecast the best days for effective application. Regardless of when you make applications, if conditions aren’t right, you will lose performance.

6.      Use your team. Talk with your local DuPont team – from your seed representative to your local crop protection expert to the field development team. They will work together to help you create field-specific crop protection plans.

7.      Plan early. I sit down with growers in the fall and go over the results for each field. If there were problems on your corn acres in 2016, then consider what could happen on those acres when you plant them to soybeans in 2017 and plan to prevent weed issues.

Develop a complete weed control program for your farm

When you don’t have effective weed control, a 3- to 5-bushel yield loss could be possible on some acres due to heavy weed populations simply because harvest is difficult. Combine that with lost yield potential due to competition and you can see how new technology that provides sound weed control can put you ahead of the pack. Better performance due to the latest soybean genetics could deliver 2 to 4 additional bushels above previous genetics. It’s a double win.

Be sure to work with a team that helps you address both the agronomic and financial sides of your business. I am excited about the opportunity to work with the new trait technology to help growers gain a weed-control advantage with a solid, comprehensive crop protection program. As you consider your plan for next year’s growing season, remember to use a full program – not a single product – to improve results next year and for years to come.

You can save now with the TruChoice Early Pay Multiplier. Matching your crop protection to seed selections can earn you big financial rewards. To create your customized crop protection program for 2017, visit earlypay.dupont.com or talk with your trusted DuPont team.

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