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Several factors inhibiting herbicide applications this spring

Several factors have slowed herbicide applications across the Midwest.

In Minnesota, extension crops educator Dave Nicolai says a cool, wet start to spring limited planting until the first of May.

“So there’s been a lot of hours put in in terms of planting corn, I mean we’ve had a rapid increase in planted acres across the state. So then it becomes a problem in terms of how far behind the sprayer is from the standpoint of pre-emerge, whether it’s the farmer themselves or a custom application that’s being done.”

He tells Brownfield windy conditions have impacted post-emergence spraying.

“And can be (a problem) to some extent on a pre, depending on how close you’re getting to other fields and crops. But I think a lot of it is timing.”

Nicolai says waterhemp has begun to emerge right along with corn and soybeans, so farmers need to make herbicide applications as quickly as possible.