READY ... SET ... GO WITH PRE AND POST APPLICATIONS

“All good weed management programs fundamentally start with early weed control,” said Kevin Carlson, Federated’s agronomy sales manager. Early weed control requires “a quality pre-emerge application program, in both corn and soybeans.”

The focus of pre-emerge applications is on problematic weeds, resistance management, and sustainability. “We only have to control one growing point with a pre-emerge herbicide,” said Carlson. “It’s easiest to control weeds as they emerge.”

“A post-emerge application is only a clean-up of a pre-emerge application,” said Carlson, adding, “that’s the way we need to think about it.”

Pre-emerge followed by post-emerge addresses the “predicament” of weed resistance, and “when we don’t offer early weed control we are at risk of losing yield potential in both corn and soybeans,” said Carlson.

Product Choices

On corn, “early application is anywhere from preplant to pre-emerge through to 2-3 leaf corn. We can do a very good job controlling weeds that early in corn,” Carlson said, noting these products (among others) recommended by Federated: Palace®, Halex GT®, and Staunch™.

On soybeans, “we minimally need a two-pass system, starting with pre-emerge with at least one post-emerge – if you want clean fields with good weed resistance management,” said Carlson. “The days of a one-pass post-emerge program are gone, thanks to weed resistance.”

Weed management in soybeans needs to be designed around the problematic weed(s). For both waterhemp and giant ragweed, two passes are the minimum.  Of course, "it depends on the weed pressure, the weed spectrum, and the weather,” said Carlson, and three passes may be required to make everything work right.”

Pre-Emerge:

• - Sonic® is the lead recommendation from Federated for pre-emerge applications focused on giant ragweed and waterhemp.
• - Federated recommends Blanket®, Parallel®, and Enlite® (among others) for pre-emerge applications primarily aimed at waterhemp. For growers in the Albertville and Ogilvie service areas, Dual II Magnum® SI can be impregnated on fertilizer for pre-plant, incorporated application.

Post-Emerge, which is always dependent upon seed traits:

• - For giant ragweed, Federated recommends Enlist® (on crops with the 2,4D trait).
• - For waterhemp, Federated recommends Liberty Link®, LLGT27®, or Enlist. These products can effectively control waterhemp post-emerge, according to Carlson. “There is no known resistance in the Liberty platform for waterhemp.”

Application Timing

Given the right weather, Federated aims to schedule custom applications in this order:

1. Soybean pre-emerge
2. Corn pre-emerge (to early post-emerge) – within 25-30 days of planting corn
3. Soybean post-emerge

“Federated needs to get corn spraying done early so we can get back to the soybean post-emerge applications on time,” said Carlson.

“We are always trying to be proactive in managing our custom application services,” he said, "and when growers work with us to make that happen, application services are done in a more timely fashion – and we protect yield potential in both corn and soybeans.”

Contact your Federated Agronomist about weed control options and custom application services before the spring rush.