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Missouri weeds need more control in this “odd” year

Weed emergence this year is like nothing University of Missouri plant scientist Kevin Bradley has ever seen and he tells Brownfield that calls for a different strategy for soybean growers.

“To be here in April and have seen just about every summer annual weed emerge already in the first two weeks of April, it’s really odd, for sure, and not something we’re going to see every year.”

Giant Ragweed – typically the first weed of summer – sprang up five weeks ago, in March, and the other weeds have followed.

Bradley’s key recommendations for growers, “Go ahead and treat your fields as a burn down now. Do not let the summer annual weed growth get out of hand.”

He says to delay putting on residual herbicides now, “Because more than likely that’s going to run out and the residual nature of that product is not going to be of any benefit by the time you plant soybeans,” says Bradley, “So, keep that residual herbicide ‘til later. It may mean you go across that field twice when you normally would go across it once.”

Because winter weeds are in full bloom and summer annuals were emerging before spring arrived, Bradley says they adjusted their weed-emergence models. Farmers can get email updates of the MU Horizon Point service for reports on weeds, insect emergence and more.

AUDIO: Kevin Bradley (7:00 mp3)

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