Take Care of Early Spring Weeds Before Planting

As you prepare for spring, consider a spring burndown herbicide application if winter or spring annual weeds are a problem in your fields. Winter annuals, including marestail, overwinter and resume growing as soon as temperatures warm in the spring. In addition to stealing water and nutrients from the soil, these weeds can create planting challenges. When fields are fit to work, tackle troublesome weeds to eliminate their competitive advantage over the crops you intend to plant.
 
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. Marestail, in particular, has shown resistance to glyphosate and ALS-inhibitor herbicides. Using alternative herbicide active ingredients like those in Dimetric^® or Dimetric Charged can increase the consistency of marestail control. Both herbicides offer residual benefits, which can help extend weed control to keep fields clean during critical stand establishment. 2,4-D and dicamba are also effective for spring burndown applications.

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.

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 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.    
 
Even small weeds can rob emerging crops of valuable moisture and nutrients, limiting yield potential. 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.
 
For more information about spring burndown applications, contact your local WinField United retailer.
 
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© 2023 WinField United. Important: Before use always read and follow label instructions. Crop performance is dependent on several factors many of which are beyond the control of WinField United, including without limitation, soil type, pest pressures, agronomic practices and weather conditions. Growers are encouraged to consider data from multiple locations, over multiple years and to be mindful of how such agronomic conditions could impact results. Class Act, CornSorb, Dimetric, InterLock, NG, StrikeLock and WinField are trademarks of WinField United. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.