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Don’t cut back on weed management

An integrated pest management specialist says farmers could get away with reducing inputs that protect against insects and disease, but does not recommend scaling back on weed management.

Bruce Potter with the University of Minnesota tells Brownfield planting seeds with fewer traits might be a risk worth taking this year as margins remain tight.

“In the case of traits, corn borer populations are low for the most part.  And corn rootworm populations the last few years have been reduced as well, particularly from the high point of 2012, 2013.”

He says there are fields at higher risk, so growers should plan accordingly.

For seed treatments, Potter points to research indicating that yield benefits are inconsistent, particularly in soybeans.

He suggests farmers redirect resources towards controlling weeds.

“Cutting herbicide costs, particularly where we’ve got issues like water hemp and giant ragweed, that’s one spot I wouldn’t cut the input costs.  The legacy for bad management is more than one year, because you build up that (weed) seed bank.”

Potter recommends taking dollars out of seed treatments and foliar fungicides to spend on a more robust weed management program.