4 Tips for Managing Early-Season Weed Pressure

Early-season weed control is one of the five essentials that can help you improve your operation in 2020. Now is the ideal time to get ahead of weed pressure and make the right strategic decisions to help mitigate their emergence. However, if weeds do emerge, there are steps you can take to control them quickly. 

1. Be proactive.

While it may not seem like it at the onset, it’s far less expensive to manage weeds early in the season than it is to try to manage them later. Typically, early-season management will pay for itself as you gain control of weeds before they become yield-robbing. The value comes with being proactive, both from a time- and money-management perspective.

2. Time your herbicide applications appropriately.

As a rule of thumb, a herbicide is most valuable at the time it's applied, so timing your application appropriately is key to effective weed management. Aim to spray on a warm day, ideally when there’s active plant growth, for the best uptake of your herbicide. There are several herbicides that might fit your situation, depending on weed type and size, label restrictions and crop tolerance. Your local agronomist will be the best source to help you determine the most effective herbicide. 

3. Optimize product efficacy.

Choosing the right adjuvant to pair with your herbicide will help you get the most from your investment and your product. For example, InterLock^® adjuvant improves coverage, increases canopy penetration, and reduces drift and evaporation for a more targeted application. If you’re applying an oil-loving herbicide, StrikeLock^® adjuvant is an oil-based drift and deposition aid, high-surfactant oil concentrate designed to improve herbicide performance. There are also other adjuvant options that may better fit your situation, so talk with your agronomist about the right herbicide and adjuvant combination for your fields.

4. Scout diligently.

Once your early-season herbicide application has been made, it’s time to scout. Did you get the weed control you expected? Take good field notes and share them with your agronomist. Then, working together, make a plan for continued post-emergence weed control throughout the season or work to make adjustments that focus on your issue for next year.