As farmers wrap up harvest, nothing paints a clearer picture of the season’s weed control program like windshield time in the combine. That’s when farmers learn what worked well and what they need to adjust for next year.
Time in the combine seat this harvest put farmers face to face with a reality that began earlier this spring: Weed control was a challenge due to weather. A wet spring meant many farmers couldn’t get back into the field to make timely postemergence applications, and many fields experienced higher weed populations.
As ag retailers meet with customers to start planning for next season, it’s a good time to address the importance of implementing a herbicide program approach that can help manage weeds even when weather doesn’t cooperate. Agronomists say now is the time to consider options while this past season is fresh on farmers’ minds.
Joe Bolte, Corteva Agriscience technical field agronomist, saw the challenges of weed control first-hand this year, as early season rains delayed postemergence herbicide applications. The cooler temperatures also slowed crop development and canopy closure, allowing weeds to flourish. Those conditions reinforced the importance of building a “weather-resistant” weed control program with residual herbicides that help provide extra time when things don’t go according to plan.
“If there was one lesson that stood out this season, it was the value of starting the season clean and using a strong preemergence weed control program,” Bolte said. “We saw the value of using residual preemergence herbicides with multiple effective modes of action. When you start clean and put effective residuals in place, you give yourself some breathing room – and farmers really needed that this year.”
Preemergence residual herbicides, such as Kyber® Pro and Sonic® Boom herbicides for soybeans, help widen the window of weed control and give farmers more time to get back to the field for in-season applications.
When farmers do make their postemergence application, it’s vital to use multiples modes and sites of action to get improved broad-spectrum control and help slow the development of weed resistance. For farmers who plant Enlist E3® soybeans – the No. 1-selling soybean technology in the United States – Bolte said Enlist One® herbicide is the foundation for a postemergence herbicide application. It offers excellent weed control and can be tank mixed with more than 1,700 products, including other herbicides that fit a program approach.
“Enlist One herbicide is a tremendous product, with excellent weed control that stays on target thanks to the unique formulation of 2,4-D choline,” Bolte said. “One of the major benefits with Enlist One is that it gives you flexibility to tank mix products such as glufosinate or glyphosate, depending on your target weeds, and then you can add a residual such as Enversa herbicide.”
Enversa® herbicide is a proprietary formulation of encapsulated acetochlor to handle tough hard-to-control broadleaf and grass weeds. It’s the preferred residual tank-mix partner with Enlist One herbicide for Enlist E3 soybeans. Tank mixes of Enlist One and Enversa can be applied through R1 in soybeans, providing application flexibility to help farmers cover more acres and navigate challenging weather conditions.
Bolte said ag retailers are the first line of defense to help farmers develop and implement a good herbicide program approach to improve weed control and provide more flexibility when weather throws a curve ball.
“We know we can’t control the weather, but there are other things we can do to put us back in the driver’s seat when it comes to weed control,” Bolte said. “A good program approach with layered residuals will give growers more time and help mitigate the challenges weather brings our way.”
Visit www.enlist.com to learn more about developing a herbicide program approach with Enlist One herbicide as the foundation.
