It’s evolving into a rather odd year for pre-harvest weed control in parts of Western Canada as a return of some moisture has meant sprouting swaths, and monster weeds. In Ontario, an accelerated season means plenty of farmers are making the dry-down decision on edible beans this week.

From pre-harvest weed control, to swapping to a desiccant, and on to post-harvest decisions, this episode of The Agronomists gets answers from Rob Miller, with BASF, and Tammy Jones, of Corteva.

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SUMMARY

• We get a crop update from both Miller (near Guelph, Ont.) and Jones (near Carman, Man.)
• To spray or not to spray? Desiccant, that is. If you’re thinking in terms of your edible beans, check out our latest Edible Bean School episode
• Canola sprouting in the pod? Swathed canola re-flowering? We have expletives for that

• Clip #1: Soybean School: Pre-harvest burndown options for a fast-moving crop
• Check with your processor for allowed product use
• The difference between dry-down (desiccant) versus weed control
• Spraying a four foot tall weed right now is not weed management, it’s now considered dry-down
• Are there a lot of “escaped” weeds? Consider that they might be resistant
• The debate to leave glyphosate in the tank mix
• Pre-harvest interval — go with the herbicide in the tank mix with the longest PHI
• PHI for canola: time between spraying and cutting, not spraying and putting it in the bin
• Clip #2: Wheat School: Making the right choice for fall weed control
• Don’t rely solely on spring control, a pre-harvest pass is a good idea in some circumstances
• Winter annuals? Weeds that can germinate in the fall?
• The fall window can be a great way to get ahead of spring — lots of opportunities, but challenges as well
• Winter does take care of some weeds for us, but some thrive and need that vernalization
• Some weeds become a small target for herbicide after the combine goes through
• Even spread of chaff matters; use open falls wisely
• When to spray out regrowth versus just leaving it for the frost, especially in a year when moisture is limited
• Snirt (snow plus dirt) is not good
• Bare soil is undesirable, so consider planting something (if you’re in the east), Miller recommends oats
• Kochia after harvest, regrowth, seed production… Go Jones Go
• Grazing? Watch out for nitrates
• Kochia seed doesn’t last in the seedbank for very long, most of it germinates the next year. Lamb’s-quarters of redroot pigweed, or even waterhemp, have more durable seed coats
• Back to frost for a second, it depends on the weed
• Clip #3, which we didn’t actually get to during the show: Weed control in a dry year and the risk of carryover
• Herbicide carryover: rainfall in-season plus soil texture (clay particles will bind pesticide molecules, higher OM means higher microbial biomass, which process said pesticide molecules)

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