I know many of you have plans in place for a spring burndown herbicide application. If not, here are a few reasons for you to get in contact with your Premier agronomist to do so. Spring burndown applications typically target winter annuals and perennial grasses that overwinter and resume growing as soon as temperatures warm in the spring. As they get going in the field they immediately begin stealing water and nutrients from the soil, and can create planting challenges. With the onset of resistant weeds like waterhemp, and standby challenges like giant ragweed, it is a best practice recommendation to add a strong residual herbicide to your preplant spring burndown application. Doing so helps keep populations down and gets ahead of your first early post application. Here are some tips for establishing clean fields that give your crop a strong start.
Scout Fields to Identify Weeds.
Identifying troublesome early-season weeds can help you plan the most effective spring burndown application.
Make Timely Spring Burndown Applications.
As mentioned, winter annual weeds start growing as soon as temperatures warm. That means by the time you may be ready to plant, those weeds may have already entered reproductive stages, making them more challenging to control. Managing weeds when they're still small will help increase the efficacy of your herbicide application. Addition of active ingredients like those in Dimetric® can increase the consistency of your control.
Follow Herbicide Label Instructions.
It won't pay to cut corners with your spring burndown applications. Consult the herbicide’s label to ensure you use the correct rate, carrier type, volume, nozzles, and partner products based on your field’s weed pressure and environmental conditions. Also, keep in mind that weed control is most effective when weeds are actively growing and metabolizing herbicide active ingredients. Generally, sunny, warm days with temperatures of 55 degrees or above typically lead to more successful applications.
Boost Herbicide Performance.
In 2023, we will likely face increasing weed resistance, so getting effective weed control on the first pass will be even more critical. Adding the right tank-mix partners, including effective adjuvants, can help improve herbicide coverage and weed control. But don’t trust your crop protection investments to just any adjuvant. Ask for data and research to back up product claims and ensure products perform in your fields.
Adding an effective adjuvant like StrikeLock®, InterLock® or Class Act® NG® is an economical way to enhance herbicide performance and ensure you’re getting the most out of the dollars you’ve spent. StrikeLock and InterLock adjuvants are excellent at reducing drift and improving deposition. The more droplets you can get to the plant, sticking to the leaf and spreading across the surface, the better performance you’ll get from your herbicide. StrikeLock is a methylated seed oil designed specifically for oil-loving herbicides while InterLock adjuvant is an all-purpose drift and deposition aid. Class Act NG adjuvant is a top-shelf, AMS-based water conditioner that also includes nonionic surfactant and CornSorb® technology for maximum weed control.
So when the fields are fit, tackle troublesome weeds to eliminate their competitive advantage over the crops you intend to plant. Offering clean fields to plant in along with residual herbicides out of the gate will give you an effective herbicide plan for 2023. For more information about spring burndown applications and getting your crop off to a great start, contact your Premier agronomist.
