iPads are becoming a great tool for scouting fields. Purdue Extension has recently released their Corn and Soybean Field Guide in an interactive app format. Bob Nielsen, Purdue Extension corn specialist says the app makes it easier for a farmer to diagnose problems in the field because of the in-depth resources available at their fingertips. In this Precision.AgWired.com Podcast we’ll … Read More
How To: Control Palmer Amaranth Weed
A new publication on Palmer amaranth, one of the most aggressive weeds to compete with crops, is now available for free through Purdue Extension’s The Education Store. Palmer Amaranth Biology, Identification and Management was created by Purdue Extension weed scientists Bill Johnson and Travis Legleiter in an effort to curb the weed’s expansion to the northern U.S. The 11-page publication … Read More
‘Flag the Technology’ Aids Herbicide Application
There is a simple, inexpensive way to reduce errors in herbicide applications and limit off-target chemical drift. One such way is the “Flag the Technology” program by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. The idea is simple: Color-coded bicycle flags or similar markers placed at field entrances or other conspicuous locations indicate the use of different herbicide technologies.The idea … Read More
Diverse Herbicide Program Needed for 2013
Common waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, giant and common ragweed, Italian ryegrass and marestail are all part of a growing group of yield-reducing “watch-out” weeds in the United States. With confirmed resistance to multiple herbicides, these species are top of mind for farmers this season. According to the Weed Science Society of America, weeds cause more yield loss and add more to … Read More
Dupont PrecisionPac Herbicide Solutions
During Commodity Classic this year Dupont Crop Protection surveyed grower attendees and found that more than half of U.S. corn, soybean and wheat growers have changed their herbicide tank-mix strategies within the last three years. Changes include using new, different or more herbicides in the same spray tank. Nearly 67 percent of growers surveyed said they or a farm employee … Read More
Syngenta Resistance Fighter of the Year
Fighting weed resistance is becoming more and more important and one way Syngenta has been working on it is with their Resistance Fighter of the Year Program. Here’s one of this year’s winners, Scott Stallbaumer from Saint Marys, KS. I met him in the Syngenta exhibit here at the National Farm Machinery Show. The other winner is Scott Holder from … Read More
Testing Methods of Herbicide Resistance
The journal Weed Science reports on methods of testing for herbicide resistance. The authors of a review article discuss testing techniques, including field surveys, plant sampling, and dose-response levels. Rapid resistance confirmations are contrasted with more thorough DNA-based tests. More than 200 plant species worldwide are resistant to herbicides. Modern agriculture depends on resistance testing to determine the best resistance … Read More
Getting to Know Palmer Pigweed
It’s not just pigweed, it’s Palmer amaranth pigweed, and it was all over the Bayer CropScience Respect the Rotation plot tour in Collinsville, Illinois – towering over corn and soybeans and most other weeds. Waterhemp is also a member of the pigweed family that might be more familiar to growers in the Midwest and both are developing resistance to glyphosate. … Read More
BASF Polls on Resistant Weeds and Protecting Soybeans
With all the talk about herbicide-resistant weeds this year, some farmers are still not concerned about the issue, according to our most recent BASF Production Poll. 37.5% of respondents said they don’t have resistant weeds (at least not yet!). However, the same number said they would be using a mix of methods to control or prevent resistance – pre-emergence herbicide, … Read More
Weed Scientists Endorse Strategies to Fight Herbicide Resistance
The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) has endorsed a series of best management practices designed to reduce the incidence of herbicide-resistant weeds and the threat they pose to agricultural productivity. WSSA president Rod Lym says the main recommendation for growers is to diversify both weed management practices and types of herbicides used. “Today it is common to rely on … Read More