Controlling resistant weeds is an ongoing challenge for growers, especially when it comes to the pigweed family including waterhemp and Palmer amaranth.
Technical Service Representative Nick Hustedde covers Illinois and Indiana for FMC. He said it’s important to use residual herbicides with multiple sites of action to manage these prolific seed producers that can germinate over a long period of time.
“The residual herbicide is going to provide that early season weed control, and that’s not only going to preserve yield potential, but it’s also going to reduce the selection pressure on the herbicide technology in combination with the trait the grower is using,” said Hustedde. “So, if we’re utilizing those pre-emergence herbicides with multiple sites of action and we can minimize the number of individuals that are exposed to that post treatment, we’re going to preserve the life cycle of that particular technology.”
Hustedde recommended using a herbicide like the new Authority Supreme from FMC along with other cultural practices like narrowing row spacing, increasing seeding rate to facilitate a quicker canopy, deep tillage where it makes sense, and maybe even cover crops to maintain weed control.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Nick Hustedde here: Interview with Nick Hustedde, FMC
2018 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album
