You planned, planted, sprayed and harvested your crop in the 2024 growing season. Now, with frost and snow settling in, the time for any herbicide applications is well past. When planning for the 2025 growing season, make your gameplan for controlling noxious weeds from spring to fall.

Across the Dakotas, top weeds to watch for have included wormwood, Canada thistle, leafy spurge, green foxtail, wild oats, kochia and pigweed. With varying weather conditions in the region from planting to harvest, different weeds cause problems in different fields and farms.

South Dakota State University shares a few key tips for producers to properly strategize their weed control in the next growing season.

Evaluate past effectiveness

Recall any weed hot spots that might have broken out in fields this past growing season. What was the biggest issue with managing them? Whether a timing application issue, equipment malfunction or different tank mix than in the past, rely on earlier successes or failures to create a plan.

Didn’t see the weed protection you hoped for last season? Consider implementing new weed-management tactics. Adding a fall herbicide application or implementing non-herbicide tactics that may have been left out in 2024 could be included in the 2025 season.

Related:What weeds should you watch for in 2025?

A key feature of ensuring quality weed control is to choose the right herbicide. Know what weeds you’re battling, and then apply according to label directions for top efficacy. As an example, SDSU Extension says that aminopyrachlor is effective on absinth wormwood and Canada thistle, but not an effective choice for controlling leafy spurge. Refer to local extension weed-control guides and your crop protection representative to plan herbicide purchases and efficacy on your farm.

Don’t rely on remembering the weedy spots from the past year; make a note of where — and what type of weeds — these patches presented. After identifying these areas, scout them regularly to ensure control is being applicated at an optimal time.

Control methods to employ

With herbicide and non-herbicide control methods available, take time to use a multifaceted approach to pesky weeds in fields. While there are some herbicide-resistant weeds popping up in fields, consider the possibility that misapplication or adverse weather is to blame for failures. Herbicides should be rotated when possible from year to year and use approved herbicide tank mixes. If failure occurs again, report the problem so appropriate testing can determine if a weed is resistant.

Related:Fight weeds on multiple fronts with integrated approach

Consider adding in crop rotation to provide additional control and reduce pressure on selecting herbicide for resistant weeds. Rotating in crops with a different life cycle can provide control by disrupting the weed’s life cycle. Small grains, for example, are planted before many summer annual weeds and can act as a barrier to germinating weed seeds, according to SDSU. 

Do you have fields with a serious weed problem? Think about making the switch to a perennial crop such as alfalfa. Summer annual weeds cannot survive repeated crop cuttings, and constant vegetation being present reduces the amount of seed germination.

Weed management should be treated on an area-to-area basis to ensure all weed species and special considerations help guarantee the proper control tactics are selected. Although there is no silver bullet for weeds, using many tactics can aid in effectiveness.

The ABCs of integrated weed management

With many types of weeds, crops and conditions, there is no one-size-fits-all option for integrated weed management. Getting Rid of Weeds offers options for farmers to select an approach that’s right for their farm.

Identifying and scouting often can help determine what weeds you are working with in a particular field. As populations of herbicide-resistant weeds spread, a multifaceted approach helps fight weeds while controlling them.

Related:Understand reduced rate vs. lower labeled rate

Understand weed attributes and biology, including life cycle, competitiveness, reproductive biology, seed germination and dormancies. Strategizing a weed plan around weed biology is a useful tool to predict how successful a weed-management tactic will be for specific weeds.

Planting into a weed-free seed bed is the first step to achieve a clean field all year long. Use a combination of tillage and herbicide application according to the weed species affecting each field.

Crop rotation is a practice that can suppress diseases, insects, nematodes and weeds. Each crop comes with its own strategies, including planting times, row spacings, herbicides, use of tillage or cultivation, and the ability to use a cover crop.

Using cover crops for weed suppression gives a few options to kill weeds during the season. A tillage or burndown application before planting a cover crop, the crop itself competing for space and resources with weeds, and cover crop termination methods also can take out weeds.

Weeds with a high seed production can allow certain weed species to overwhelm in a field. Whenever possible, hand-pull your escaped weeds before they spread seeds to reduce their foothold in fields.

Plan when and where to harvest, going from the least weed-infested to the most infested. Consider when you will clean your combine during harvest, and schedule in time for this cleaning to prevent the spread of weeds from field to field.

Find out more top tips about integrated weed management at growiwm.org.

The South Dakota State University Extension and North Dakota State University Extension contributed to this article.