Palmer pigweed and waterhemp went viral across the Midwest this 2017 growing season so it was no surprise that weed control was one of the most popular questions Syngenta fielded this year at the Farm Progress Show.
“You can drive down the road here in central Illinois and pick out the soybean fields where you have the weeds breaking through,” said John Foresman, Product Lead for Corn Herbicides, Syngenta. “It is really a pain point for farmers in 2017.”
Foresman said one key to weed control is using a herbicide with multiple modes of action. Sygenta’s premix corn herbicide lineup includes Acuron and Halex GT and on the soybean side Boundary, PreFix, and Broad Axle; but as Foresman points out the company has products that can be customized to growers’ needs based on their weed spectrum they have been battling.
“Weeds are an emotional challenge for farmers,” Foresman said. “Especially some weeds like the palmer amaranth that we are looking at — once they get beyond three, four, five inches tall — it is almost impossible to control them.”
Foresman says farmers really want to know what they can do to differently for next year so these challenges are not replicated in 2018.
While Syngenta has started working with growers on planning for 2018 and to avoid a repeat of the 2017 challenges, Foresman said there are a few weed control management tips growers should remember:
• Use full labeled rates.
• Apply residual herbicides.
• Make sure the timing is right when you spray herbicides.
• Know the weed spectrum that you have.
• Map it out in your fields.
“As you are riding in the combine this fall, you are going to pick out those spots that have some tough weed control,” Foresman said. “Make note of them so you can give special attention to them next year.”
