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Combating early season weed and pest pressure

An agronomist says the mild winter could increase pest and weed pressure for growers this year.

Matt Hutcheson with Seed Consultants says early trap reports are finding higher incidents of pests that could be problematic for growers later in the year.  “Keep an eye out for potential army worm problems as we get further along in the season,” he says.  “The potential damage they can do to our crops – and keep in mind threshold levels.  Black cutworm could also be an issue as we get further along in the season.”

He tells Brownfield the weed resistance issue becomes more challenging for growers every year and farmers need a solid weed control program in place.

But most importantly – Hutcheson says growers have to control weeds early.  “That includes a burndown with residuals and a good post-program using multiple modes of action,” he says.  “One of the key things is to get out there and spray fields when weeds are the height of a pop can – as a good rule of thumb.”

He says the larger the weeds get – the more difficult they are to control and the more yield loss they can cause.

AUDIO: Matt Hutcheson, Seed Consultants