Spring Pre-Plant Burndown

Although we seem to be bouncing between warm and cold weather, spring is finally starting to stick around. With warm temperatures and damp conditions, weeds are starting to germinate and emerge in fields going to spring crops.  

Now is a key time to get out and scout open ground for weeds, including winter annuals, grasses, and early summer annuals. Spraying while winter annuals are small is key to good control. For example, marestail or horseweed is significantly more difficult to control after it has “bolted” or begins to grow upward from the center of the rosette. Henbit is also easier to control when it is small and before flowering.

Applying a residual product with these burndown applications is highly recommended. Residual products can help prevent new flushes of weeds from germinating and emerging. Many weeds are much easier to prevent than to control after emergence.

Reasons to burndown present weeds and apply a residual:

1. Weeds are easier to control when small (and before bolting in marestail) meaning a less expensive burndown cost
2. Clean up seedbed for planting of spring crops
3. Some crops, such as corn, can change leaf orientation if weeds are present in the row, causing a season long effect on the amount of sunlight the plant can intercept
4. Prevent green-bridge for disease and insects to carry over to spring crops
5. Multiple modes of action on the field to help with resistance management

Contact the Great Bend Co-op Agronomy Department today to get your spring burndown applied.