IT’S ALL ABOUT TIMING FOR PRE- AND POST-EMERGE SPRAYING

They say a good joke is all in the timing. When it comes to applying pre- and post-emerge herbicides on soybeans, it’s no joke that timing is pretty much everything.

Timing begins at planting and making sure planting is right. It’s important to get off the tractor while planting and regularly check to ensure seeds are going into the ground – at the right depth – and not laying on top of the soil.

Aside from the obvious concern about proper planting depth for germination, “any exposure to the pre-emerge herbicide could kill the beans,” said Brad Hipsag, Federated agronomy sales rep at the Ogilvie location. Seeds planted at proper depth won’t be affected when the pre-emerge is sprayed within the “strict three-day window,” said Hipsag.

“If Federated is custom applying your pre-emerge [herbicide], it is extremely important to be in communication with your agronomist,” said Hipsag. Federated needs to know when you are planting in order to appropriately schedule spraying.

Post-emerge applications are time sensitive as well as dependent upon the technology (i.e., traits) of the soybeans planted. Because there’s a wide variety of soybean technologies available today, “if we are not on the same page with what kind of beans you planted, we could kill your whole field of soybeans,” Hipsag warned.

Federated needs to know what you planted and when it was planted to ensure the correct herbicides are applied at the right time. For seed not purchased form Federated, “we need to see a seed tag,” said Hipsag.

Post-emerge applications should be 4-6 weeks after pre-emerge herbicide applications – “when the weeds are very small, or even if there are hardly any weeds [yet],” Hipsag noted. “The best way to keep tough weeds at bay, like waterhemp, is to never let them start growing,” he said.

Contact your Federated Agronomist with timing info and concerns as spring planting gets underway soon.