When selecting seed for next spring, farmers need to take into consideration which herbicide trait technologies they want to use and where they want to place those technologies. Knowing the surroundings can help them make better use of these technologies.
Farmers who consider field placement when purchasing seed can help ensure they’ll be able to use the technologies they employ more successfully.
“What we mean by field placement is simply placing or planting herbicide tolerant crops in locations which allow growers to maximize the benefits of that trait technology,” says Steve Snyder, Enlist® field specialist.
“This allows them to use the herbicide they want,” Snyder says. “Most typically, that's the complementary herbicide that goes along with the trait technology. For instance, with Enlist E3® soybeans, that would mean using Enlist One or Enlist Duo herbicides.”
To take full advantage of all the benefits of the Enlist™ weed control system— including Enlist One® and Enlist Duo® herbicides — farmers need to identify fields posing difficult weed challenges.
“First, we recommend employing the Enlist system on fields which have persistent or hard-to-control weeds as part of a complete program approach,” Snyder says. A program approach involves using a burndown treatment and/or preemergence application that includes an effective residual herbicide. Then farmers can follow with Enlist herbicides postemergence.
“Second, be aware: Know where compatible and susceptible crops are located and what sensitive areas might be nearby,” Snyder says. “Compatible crops, as the name implies, are crops that coexist with Enlist crops very well. There are no wind direction restrictions when applying Enlist herbicides near such compatible crops. No field separation is needed. Applicators and growers can apply Enlist herbicides right up next to those compatible crops.”
When applying any herbicide, it’s important to follow the label. This applies to Enlist™ herbicides. Applicators must check weather conditions before spraying Enlist herbicides and continue to monitor conditions during application.
“Do not spray Enlist herbicides when the wind is blowing toward susceptible crops,” Snyder says. “There’s no safe buffer distance when the wind is blowing toward such crops. Wait for conditions that are favorable after wind direction changes.”
To learn more, farmers can talk with their seed dealers or crop protection retailers. They can help with selection of varieties and hybrids featuring the herbicide trait technologies that can address an operation’s weed control issues.
Steve Snyder is an Enlist™ field specialist and serves as the in-field expert for the Enlist weed control system in the upper Midwest, including the Dakotas and Minnesota. His area includes a large number of soybean acres. Steve has more than 30 years of experience in crop protection with Dow AgroSciences and Corteva Agriscience. Snyder and other Enlist field specialists are experts in weed management, application technology and crop research.