Concerns over herbicide availability and cost were high at the beginning of the year. The situation forced farmers and suppliers to be flexible and approach weed control with a little more creativity than usual. While supply and inflation remain at the forefront of everyone’s mind going into a new season, it’s important to look back on the top three lessons learned in 2022.
1. Focus on Modes of Action
With glyphosate in short supply, it’s no surprise grass control was a challenge across the country. Farmers were successful when they filled that gap with a Group 1 herbicide like clethodim in soybeans or a Group 27 HPPD Inhibitor like tolpyralate in corn. Beware of making applications beyond weed parameters and expecting control. Any time your products of choice aren’t available, consider other herbicides with the same mode of action (MOA) or a different MOA that can effectively manage the problem weeds on your farm.
2. Layer Residuals
Establishing control early and maintaining it throughout the season was more important than ever. The best plans started with burndown and began layering soil-applied residuals in pre- and post-emergence applications. When supply is stretched thin, this approach helps reduce the potential for resprays and gives you the flexibility to use your valuable post herbicides on the acres that really need it.
3. Control What You Can
Even though the market is out of your control, there are a variety of other ways you can impact efficiency and improve your results. For example, the importance of using adjuvants became especially clear this year. Using water conditioners to clear up antagonisms in the tank and improving the performance of contact herbicides in drought conditions were just two ways adjuvants made a difference. Staying on top of these additional factors can also maximize your herbicide investments: mixing order, carrier volume (GPA), PSI, nozzle type (droplet size and spray pattern), sprayer speed, and application timing (proper height and growth stage).
Overall, the experts at Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC believe farmers were able to manage weeds well despite a difficult situation. They will continue advising farmers to have a plan A, B, C, and even D in place to manage the uncertainty of the supply chain. Perhaps their biggest piece of advice going into 2023 is to never let up on weed control no matter the circumstances. Cutting corners up front can cost more in the end due to loss of yield and poor weed control, putting more weed seed in the soil seed bank.