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How to Properly Use Dicamba on Soybeans

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As the growing season approaches it is important for farmers to understand how to use dicamba on resistant soybean varieties. Todd Gleason has more with University of Illinois weed scientist Aaron Hager.



The following is an excerpt from the March 23 farmdocdaily article posted by University of Illinois Weed Scientist Aaron Hager.

Steps for Successful Weed Management in Dicamba-Resistant Soybean

Step 1
  • plant dicamba soybean seed into a weed-free seedbed
  • achieve a weed-free seedbed through the use of preplant tillage, an effective burndown herbicide(s), or a combination of tillage and burndown herbicides
Step 2:
  • select and apply within 7 days of planting a soil-residual herbicide that targets your most problematic weed species; if desired (and labeled), add dicamba and an appropriate buffer
  • for waterhemp or Palmer amaranth, select a product containing the active ingredients from one of the following categories of control:
Excellent Good Acceptable
sulfentrazone pyroxasulfone     S-metolachlor/metolachlor
flumioxazin metribuzin acetochlor
fomesafen+metolachlor     dimethenamid pendimethalin
  • Excellent: greatest efficacy on Amaranthus species and longest residual control
  • Good: good efficacy on Amaranthus species, residual control generally not as long
  • Acceptable: stronger on grass species but with some activity on Amaranthus species
Step 3:
  • scout fields 14 days after planting, apply dicamba at 0.5 lb ae/acre when weeds are less than 3 inches tall and when conditions allow for the application, consider adding an approved soil-residual herbicide to the tank mix
Step 4:
  • scout treated fields 7 days after the dicamba application; if control is not complete or another flush of weeds has emerged, consider using non-dicamba options for complete control; examples include alternative herbicides, cultivation, and hand rogueing; the goal should be zero weed seed production

Post-Emergence Herbicides in Corn

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It is time for farmers to control weeds in their corn fields. However, the cool, wet start to the growing season makes it doubly important to read and follow herbicide labels.

The post-emergence herbicide labels they’ll be following usually allow applications to be made at various growth stages says University of Illinois Extension Weed Scientist Aaron Hager. He says it is really important to read the label, making sure to get the height, or the stage, maybe both, of the crop correct.

This is because most all of the products for corn have a growth stage listed on the label beyond which applications, at least broadcast applications, should not be made. It is usually either plant height - measured at the highest arch of the uppermost leaf at least 50% out of the whorl - or a leaf number. Hager says if both are listed, then it is important to use the more restrictive of the two, For example, because of some of the weather conditions we’ve had across a large part of the state this year we may have corn plants which are older than their height would suggest. Using the leaf collar method is typically a better way to stage the development of the corn plant. If you can do both the height and the counting, the leaf collar method is the better method to determine the stage of the corn plant."

Using the leaf collar method is typically a better way to stage the development of the corn plant. - Aaron Hager, University of Illinois

Corn plants under stress conditions may be more prone to injury from post-emergence herbicides. On that note, Hager says farmers should be sure to consult the product label when selecting spray additives. Many labels suggest changing from one type of additive to another when the corn crop is stressed. Also, trying to save a trip across the field by applying a post-emergence corn herbicide with liquid nitrogen as the carrier is not advisable. The U of I weed scientist says while applying high rates of UAN by itself can cause corn injury, adding a post-emergence herbicide can make it worse.

Four Step Weed Control Plan for 2016

Farmers battling herbicide resistant weeds are running out of control options. University of Illinois Extension Weed Scientist Aaron Hager has this four step recommendation. You may read detailed information of his four step weed control plan online.