Wet weather & weed issues

[Jeff_a_Caldwell]

Just saw a report from some Purdue weed specialists about how much extra weed pressure there's been in Indiana this spring so far because of how wet it's been there. Sounds like they're seeing a lot more "yellow fields" from ragwort (or butterweed) because nobody could get any spraying done on account of all the rain earlier this spring. 

Anybody seeing different and/or just more intense weed pressure this spring so far because of how wet and cool it's been? 

[nwobcw]

   I haven't noticed it being worse than usual because of the late start.   What I have seen is weeds I have never seen before which I attribute to the tornado that passed near here last June.  Many early maturing weeds went to seed before being sprayed which means a weedy mess next year too.

[Nebrfarmr]

I'm in central Nebraska, and I have never seen so many fields with so many weeds in them as this spring, mine included.  Fortunately, we had a window where a lot of spraying could be done before the weeds got too big.  One guy told me with all the moisture, most every seed sprouted, so if we can keep ahead of the weeds, there shouldn't be many next year.  I think 90% of the fields got that done.  Personally, I have more sunflowers than I have ever seen before, but right now they are less than an inch tall, but in places are so thick, the ground is green.

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

In east-central Iowa, I don't see a lot of extra weed pressure.  The pressure in my field is mostly from "test strips", otherwise known as incompetence.

Just sprayed most of my corn before the rain stopped me.  No bad weeds here.  But, a late spring means a lot of waterways and headlands were not mowed so there are some weeds there.

I'll say that my waterways are showing a lot of weed pressure in the last few years and I need to do something about it. 

[hymark]

We used more Gramoxone that we normally do, due to the size of the weeds and the length of time to kill them before planting.  We heighth and population are all over the board, more thistles some places, more ragweeds some places, poison hemlock everywhere, getting out into fields again.

[Pupdaddy]

Biggest problem I've had...is I sprayed Glyphosate, 2,4-D and some Metribuzin early...and the pokeweed wasn't up big enough to kill it yet. Going to have to add some Synchrony in the post Glyphosate application..and maybe even some First Rate too to kill the resistant Giant Ragweed and Marestail. This post Glyphosate spraying is going to a lot of fun in the coming years. Kind of makes me wonder if I shouldn't just go back to conventional beans.

[T_D]

Has anyone here heard of a product called phLAME (pronounced flame)? It is a PH buffer designed to lower the the PH of your water to match the PH of your herbicide. If you mix a 3.5 to 4.5 PH herbicide with 7 to 9 PH water you lose about half of your kill power. phLAME stops your mixture from entering into chemical hydrolysis. The non-ionic co-polymers in phLAME instantly break down the leaf surface both waxy and velvet leaf. We are getting better control and good kills on some weeds that seem to be giving some folks a few problems. As in pigweed, morning glories, mares tail, fox tail, and night shade etc. This surfactant is applied at the rate of 12 to 32 oz. per 100 gallons of tank mix. We recommend 16 oz. With enough water to distribute evenly. Of course none of this does any good if you can't get in the field. It is scary what the farmers are going through right now. It is even worse to think about what this whole country and a lot of other folks who depend on our farmers are about to go through if this weather pattern keeps up. Good luck. If there is anything we can do, let me know.

T_D

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

Solicitation and trolling is not considered good form on this board. 

[Pupdaddy]

So tell me...how easy is this wonder surfactant going to make my life?...Is is going to reduce the number of Glyphosate resistant biotypes in my fields? Is it going to substitute for good spraying technique...like not spraying when it's 45 degrees out, or after the plants have closed up their stomates for the night, or before they are open in the morning? Is it less expensive than other surfactants..that contain the exact same blend of alcohols and industrial surfactants that it does..yet haven't mixed them with citric acid or molasses yet? Yes...I said molasses..because we have a surfactant salesman that is marketing his "premium product" surfactant..and the only reason it looks any different or performs any different is because they add molasses to it. This is supposedly worth about 10 bucks a gallon in it's effectiveness...for maybe .50 cents worth of molasses. I think I'll just go buy the 80/20 surfactant..that just happens to be the most reasonably priced...and not worry if I don't get one weed out of 20,000 killed with the "inferior" product that you'll try to say I'm getting. We don't try to sell much to each other on this site...if you want to sell something...try the classified adds....