Start Clean, Stay Clean
May 04, 2022
Some of you may be familiar with the saying “start clean, stay clean”. Clean fields almost always come with a two-pass chemical program. You can achieve this with a diversified weed management plan that includes multiple modes of action and a pre-emergent herbicide.
Soybeans are sensitive to competition, especially in the early stages. They compete with weeds for nutrients, light, and water. Soybeans can “sense” weed pressure and change their growth habits accordingly. This can lead to shallower roots and reduced yields.
Using a pre-emergent chemical as part of your herbicide routine is highly recommended to guarantee the health of your soybeans. Pre-emerge chemicals take care of any weeds as they begin germinating below the soil surface. The chemical does this by either inhibiting root growth or shoot growth. This means your soybeans have a better chance at growing without competition from the beginning; it’s a benefit that post emergence chemicals can’t offer. Not only that, but when a weed is germinating the pre emerge chemical only needs to kill one growing point, this makes killing weeds a lot easier than with a post emerge chemical, when many growing points must be covered to kill the plant.
Our most popular products that we offer at Belgrade Co-op are Zidua Pro and Authority Edge. Both are great pre-emergence herbicides at keeping weed pressure under control. They do require around 0.5” of to become “activated” and begin working on the weeds. All the rain is really doing is getting that chemical to where the weed seeds are germinating. Therefore, any amount of rain will help move your chemical into some germination zones. Regardless of rainfall, your weed density in fields will be greatly reduced for the first pass of post to do a much better job. Without a pre you likely are used to seeing weed pressure that looks similar to the picture below. Pictures like this are a nightmare for post emerge application. Each little seedling is canopying each other, making it impossible to get chemical on every growing point. Its fields like this that we have to respray quite frequently. Routine scouting is recommended, but you should get 3-4 weeks of weed control. A post application would be recommended after that.
If applying a pre-emergence herbicide interests you or you would like more information, please contact any of our agronomists.
Rachael Kulzer
Belgrade Cooperative Agronomy Sales
Soybeans are sensitive to competition, especially in the early stages. They compete with weeds for nutrients, light, and water. Soybeans can “sense” weed pressure and change their growth habits accordingly. This can lead to shallower roots and reduced yields.
Using a pre-emergent chemical as part of your herbicide routine is highly recommended to guarantee the health of your soybeans. Pre-emerge chemicals take care of any weeds as they begin germinating below the soil surface. The chemical does this by either inhibiting root growth or shoot growth. This means your soybeans have a better chance at growing without competition from the beginning; it’s a benefit that post emergence chemicals can’t offer. Not only that, but when a weed is germinating the pre emerge chemical only needs to kill one growing point, this makes killing weeds a lot easier than with a post emerge chemical, when many growing points must be covered to kill the plant.
Our most popular products that we offer at Belgrade Co-op are Zidua Pro and Authority Edge. Both are great pre-emergence herbicides at keeping weed pressure under control. They do require around 0.5” of to become “activated” and begin working on the weeds. All the rain is really doing is getting that chemical to where the weed seeds are germinating. Therefore, any amount of rain will help move your chemical into some germination zones. Regardless of rainfall, your weed density in fields will be greatly reduced for the first pass of post to do a much better job. Without a pre you likely are used to seeing weed pressure that looks similar to the picture below. Pictures like this are a nightmare for post emerge application. Each little seedling is canopying each other, making it impossible to get chemical on every growing point. Its fields like this that we have to respray quite frequently. Routine scouting is recommended, but you should get 3-4 weeks of weed control. A post application would be recommended after that.
If applying a pre-emergence herbicide interests you or you would like more information, please contact any of our agronomists.
Rachael Kulzer
Belgrade Cooperative Agronomy Sales