A sigh of relief was heard across the country following the close of the 2019 growing season. The year was tough. While dealing with pests, diseases and the hurdles of Mother Nature, growers in Iowa and surrounding states were frustrated as hard-to-control weeds like glyphosate-resistant marestail returned.

As planning for the 2020 season continues, think about protecting your soybean crop all season. From seed to crop protection, growers have a variety of solutions to use before planting time.

“There are many elements out of growers’ control, but starting with a clean field is a great way to set yourself up for success,” says Mark Storr, BASF senior tech service representative. “If Iowa growers didn’t have a chance to apply a burndown herbicide following harvest, they may consider applying a burndown like Verdict herbicide this spring.”

More resistant weeds

Even with clean fields, managing resistant weeds continues to be an uphill battle as the number of resistant weeds increases. Research by Stratus Ag shows nearly 75% of farmers in the U.S. are experiencing glyphosate-resistant weeds in their fields. BASF recommends the following strategies to help combat resistant weeds:

Start with the right seed. Local representatives are available to help select the best soybean system to fit each grower’s operation. But growers should first look at the weeds they have in their fields to discover what herbicide-tolerant trait system will control those weeds best. One option is Credenz LibertyLink GT27. Credenz offers precise varieties bred to withstand local pest and disease pressures. For 2020, growers can find 36 Credenz LibertyLink GT27 varieties ranging from 0.1 to 4.6 relative maturity.

Create a weed management plan. Weeds like marestail, pigweed and waterhemp continue to spread, so growers need to attack with multiple modes of action. Consider using both pre- and postemergence herbicides, targeting small weeds, abiding by the label rate, and including residuals and post-herbicides for longer control.

In addition to weeds, diseases and pests also continue to spread. To help battle these challenges and protect seed investments, Storr recommends ways growers can implement a strong crop protection program.

Proactively incorporate fungicides. Diseases like frogeye leaf spot continue to move north, so planning preventive applications is imperative. Using fungicides like Revytek or Priaxor fungicide helps protect growers’ investments by providing crops with plant health benefits, which increase antioxidant production in the plant, essentially priming them for times of stress. This reduces oxidative stress and lets the plant focus on growing efficiently and creating yield.

Actively manage pests. Soybean aphids continue to make their way across Iowa and surrounding regions. Using an insecticide like Sefina insecticide will control aphids on contact. Sefina is not a restricted use pesticide so growers have more flexibility to apply it themselves rather than having to wait for a certified applicator. In addition, most insecticides limit growers to spray only when beneficials and pollinators are not foraging. With Sefina insecticide, this isn’t an issue, allowing growers to spray whenever works best, subject to any label requirements and restrictions.

“Soybean growers have a lot of choices to make, and it comes down to what technology they’re most comfortable using on their farm,” Storr says. “Deciding which solutions are best for each field is no easy task. Consulting BASF advisers will help growers overcome and learn from last year’s challenges.”

To learn more, visit agriculture.basf.com.

Source: BASF, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.