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Weeds take off under abnormal warmth

Weeds are taking advantage of abnormally warm conditions.

Mike Probst with BASF says growth of several winter annuals has accelerated.

“Where maybe around now is the time that we would normally expect some of those fields start greening up, we’ve actually seen that process start for about a month now.”

He tells Brownfield a spring burndown herbicide application could set the stage for a successful weed management program the rest of the year.

“It determines how quickly you could potentially get in and work that field if tillage is an option, it impacts how quickly you can get in and plant that field, it impacts how quickly your field can dry out, and all of these subsequent things down the line.”

He suggests the timing of a burndown application can be tricky when overnight temperatures dip below freezing.

“And a lot of times when we see that happen, sometimes those weeds tend to go dormant for a few days and kind of stop their growth. And when that happens it’s very difficult for them to uptake herbicide, and if we don’t get herbicide uptake we decrease our chances of getting successful control.”

Probst, who is based in Illinois, says farmers waiting to apply herbicides in April should consider using a burndown plus residual.