Agricultural News
Baughman Says Weed Control Requires Season-Long Approach
Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:43:50 CDT
Oklahoma State University encourages farmers to take a broad based approach to controlling weeds. Across the nation a increasing number of weeds have been resistant to weed control products like glyphosate. Speaking at the recent OSU Caddo Research Station Tour at Fort Cobb, OSU Weed Specialist Todd Baughman said farmers need to look at a total program approach in controlling weeds in peanuts.
"We've got to start it from the front end with some type of pre-emergence or pre-plant incorporated program," Baughman said. "We have to be strong up front to set our general foundation."
While there are some post - emergence products, Baughman recommends using a residual product because peanuts are a slow growing crop, so weed control is important throughout the growing season. With the digging process at harvest late emerging weeds can also be problematic.
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays talked with Baughman on the issues of herbicide resistant weeds. You can listen to the full interview by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below. He said they are not just a problem in peanuts. In Oklahoma there is glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth pigweed in cotton, peanuts and soybeans. Baughman said proper treatment requires setting up a residual program up-front.
"The key is you have to get ahead up front," Baughman said. "If you ever get behind resistant pigweed you will never catch up because even some of the products that will control pigweed besides roundup, timing is much more crucial. We used to be able to kill a two foot pigweed with Roundup. With the other post products we have you have to be two to four inches tall in most cases with those products."
If one pigweed doesn't get controlled, the task will become more challenging. Baughman said there is documentation of as much as a half a million seeds from one single pigweed plant, so it can produce a tremendous population that can explode and cover a field in a short amount of time.
With these ongoing weed issues, Baughman recommends taking a foundation approach with good management. He recommends farmers remember the older weed treatment options with Dual, Outlook and Warrant, as these are still very effective tools.
On the horizon, farmers can also look forward to some technologies becoming available. Dicamba tolerant crops will be available in the next couple of years for cotton and soybeans. Also, 2,4-D resistant cotton and soybeans will be coming out. Baughman said in making these tools the most effective he recommends using a residual herbicide in combination with that technology, rather than using that technology alone.
"It helps both from a overall weed control standpoint and its going to help us make sure we don't have resistance off of those compounds as well," Baughman said.
If researchers would have understood that concept a decade ago, then maybe there wouldn't be the issues with glyphosate resistance. Baughman said if we would have had a residual program as apart of that he feels that agriculture wouldn't be dealing with the resistance problems that we are dealing with now.
To view pictures from the OSU Pre Harvest Peanut Field Tour- click here.
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