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Early planting boosts importance of early season weed control

An agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids reminds growers that earlier planted crops can lead to more weed pressure later in the season.

Ben Wiegmann based in southern Illinois tells Brownfield that’s because, “Typically that crop is growing a little bit slower because we don’t have as warm of temperatures and that crop can’t get to canopy as fast, which is ultimately the most effective herbicide on the market- canopy closure.”

He recommends a pre-emergence herbicide application with at least three modes of action, which their Practical Farm Research has shown can result in 97% weed control within 2 to 4 weeks after treatment.

“Typically consisting of a group 5 herbicide like metribuzin, a group 15 PPO type chemistry and then a group 15 type residual herbicide.”

Wiegmann says it is important for growers to scout their fields and talk to their retailers and agronomists to determine the best tank mix for the weeds they are dealing with.

He says a pre-emergence application also takes pressure off the of post-emergence application and limits herbicide resistance.