You might think your most important decision for cost-effective weed control hinges on whether you buy brand-name herbicides or cheaper, generic options. Those who study spraying systems insist that how you handle the little things, including the order in which you add products to the spray tank, may play a bigger role in effective, efficient weed control than whether it’s a brand name or generic product.

“Our testing shows that, by and large, active ingredients in generics do the same job, and you should see the same or similar weed control results,” says Aaron Hager, University of Illinois weed control specialist. “The difference may come in how you handle other details related to the application.”

Bill Johnson, Purdue Extension weed control specialist, adds that one place for generics this spring could be spiking a premix by adding more of a single active ingredient. “You may need more of that active ingredient in the mix to control a problem weed,” he notes. “The rate of an active ingredient in the premix may not be enough to handle it. If the generic version of the active is cheaper, it might be the most economical way to make the mix hotter on waterhemp, for example.”

Right order, no rush

Regardless of product name, preventing problems may boil down to adding products in the right order, and giving each one enough time to mix before adding another, says Jeff Nagel, Lafayette, Ind. As an agronomist with Keystone Cooperative, Nagel advises farmers on how to prepare successful spray solutions.

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“You want to follow the right order, and you don’t want to rush things,” he says. “Don’t get in a hurry when adding ingredients into the spray mixture. Some products take more time to dissolve into the mix than others. It is best to make sure a product is fully dissolved before you add the next one. That can prevent potential problems.”

Look at the herbicide label first for directions on mixing order. Find additional tips in Avoid Tank Mixing Errors, PPP-122, prepared by Fred Whitford, director of Purdue Pesticide Programs.

How you fill the tank depends on whether water or fertilizer is the carrier, Whitford notes. One step with either carrier is adding individual products based on formulation type. Within this step alone, there is a prescribed order depending upon formulation of different herbicides, adjuvants and other materials added to the mixture.

For example, with water as the carrier, steps 1 through 3 are reading the label, shaking up containers of liquids and filling the tank with half the total water volume. Then agitate and add products, based on formulation type. If you are adding dry products, wait three to five minutes after each one before adding the next product. Then finish filling the tank with water.

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Paying attention to these small details can determine whether you have a good mix or if problems develop, Nagel says. Problems aren’t always a clogged sprayer. Sometimes, it might be particulates settling out of a solution. If the spray solution isn’t uniform, weed control could be erratic at best.

Worse yet, Whitford notes, is time lost to clean sprayer components affected by a bad mixture. That takes away from time that could be better spent spraying, he concludes.