Easing Post Pass Application Fatigue

How do you take a shortcut without cutting too many corners? When considering ways to eliminate tasks or save money, it’s important to look at the big picture to be sure it doesn’t actually end up costing you more in the long run.

Take herbicides, for example. Increasingly, many soybean growers choose to skip preemergence herbicides and rely solely on post-emergence applications for soybean weed management. No doubt, choosing the best seed variety with the right trait package is crucial for producing a high-yielding crop. These technologies have been game changers for growers, allowing them to push the limits of their fields’ yield potential by pairing high-performing traits with industry-leading herbicides.

Here’s the problem, though. Many growers are finding that skimping on preemergence applications creates more problems than it solves. Growers may need to make as many as three passes with post-emergence herbicides, and that may not even be enough control if weeds have been allowed to take hold.

Five Reasons To Not Skip Preemergence Herbicides

While certain seed purchases dictate which post-emergence herbicides to use, it’s important to still take a full-season approach that includes preemergence residual herbicides. Here are five benefits of including preemergence residual herbicides in your program every year:

1. Better Weed Control

If you choose to use a budget preemergence herbicide or skip this crucial application altogether, you’re likely to end up with a lot of weed breaks, including tough-to-control weeds like waterhemp. Once these weeds break through, getting them under control can be difficult. It’s common for growers in these scenarios to make two or three post-emergence applications; and even then, they still may not get full weed control.

2. Higher Yields

Weeds reduce the crops’ access to sunlight, water, space and nutrients; and this adds up to lower yields at the end of the season. In no-till soybeans, Michigan State Extension has observed yield losses of up to 7 bushels per acre if weeds are not controlled until the unifoliate stage (VC) compared with controlling early-season weeds prior to or at planting. Additionally, waiting to control these weeds until the V1 stage (first trifoliate) can reduce yield by approximately 0.5 bushels per acre per day.

3. Better Budgeting

While you may hope to cut costs by skipping preemergent applications or opting for budget herbicides, this approach often has the inverse effect and ends up costing more. That’s because skipping this crucial foundation application introduces the need for more post applications than were originally planned, which adds an extra expense in herbicide costs as well as gas, labor, and equipment wear and tear. It is often more cost effective to invest in a high performance preemergence residual herbicide as part of a complete herbicide protection program.

4. Less Crop Damage From Post Passes

Post applications should be made sparingly, as they can inadvertently cause crop damage by knocking off valuable pods or running over entire plants. Making a pre-emergent application gets the herbicide in the ground before plants reach this vulnerable stage and reduces the potential for late-season crop damage, helping your fields reach their full yield potential.

5. More Predictability

From weather to commodity prices, there are many things about farming that can’t be controlled. By putting this preemergence application down, you can rest assured knowing you will have fewer weeds to contend with later in the season. That means more time for other priorities instead of making multiple unplanned post-emergence trips.

Solutions for Full-Season Weed Control

It’s a fact: A planned preemergence residual herbicide is a good investment, and skipping this crucial step or compromising on product quality can have big late-season repercussions. For better weed control and maximum yield potential, Tendovo^® soybean herbicide used preemergence and adding Dual Magnum^® herbicide to your post-emergence plan should be essential pieces of your weed management program.

Tendovo offers excellent weed control as well as the flexibility to farm the way you like. Regardless of which trait it’s paired with, Tendovo provides outstanding residual control of more than 70 weeds. Additionally, it can be used on any soil type with proven crop safety An added benefit of Tendovo is that it helps soybeans close the canopy faster, keeping rows covered and acting like a “fourth mode of action.” Faster canopy means more energy for pods, and that propels higher yields.

Patrick Ligon, an Illinois retailer, has seen the benefits of Tendovo first-hand from both a weed control and crop safety perspective. “I’ve noticed Tendovo herbicide holds a lot longer than other herbicides,” he says. “When I go in for that post pass, those weeds are a lot smaller and easier to kill. Additionally, the crop safety with Tendovo has been miles ahead of other herbicides I’ve used. My stand count has consistently stayed in that range we’ve been shooting for.”

For full season weed control and higher yielding crops, don’t skimp on your preemergence application. Your future self will thank you.