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Planning for weeds now will allow flexibility later

BASF Technical Service Representative Mike Probst says making a plan to address weeds now will allow growers to be flexible later in the season.

“Having a plan allows you to adjust if you need to. It puts you in the driver seat instead of letting those weeds make decisions for you,” he says.

Advice he has for growers is have a plan for what you want to do as well as a timeline.  

“For example, if you’re making a two-pass herbicide program, which I would always recommend, plan that second application based off of when your first one went out. Target maybe four to five weeks later,” he says. “If you have adverse weather come through that doesn’t allow that application to go out on the exact time you planned, because you’ve been proactive and made that plan, it will allow you to adjust accordingly if you need to.”

Probst says waiting to address weeds can cause application delays.

 “If you allow those weeds to come up and that’s your driver to make the application and that same adverse weather comes through, that might delay you a week,” he says. “By the time you get the chance to do what you had planned to do in the first place it may be too late and now you may be in a difficult situation. Being in that driver’s seat and being proactive is always going to be a benefit.”

Probst says it’s just as important that a weed management plan focuses on finishing the season strong.

“Specifically what I would be referring to there is making sure that we’re utilizing post emergence residual technologies,” he says. “BASF has great offerings like Zidua® SC herbicide and Outlook® herbicide among others that are out there. That’s really the last thing you can do for weed control in the year and it’s really going to allow your crop to get to canopy and really get off to the races without competing with those weeds after that second application. It gives your crops a good chance to roll through the season without fighting those weeds. I would always advise taking advantage of that as well.”

Probst covers central and southern Illinois. He says growers should contact their local retailers with any questions.

Audio: Mike Probst

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