May 27, 2010

From field to field and season to season, weed control is an ongoing battle for many growers.   Stevan Knezevic, weeds specialist at the Haskell Agricultural Laboratory near Concord, invites you to check out the following articles previously published in CropWatch in case you're facing one of these weed control challenges this year.

Timely Control

The next four weeks will be critical for achieving timely weed control without limiting crop yield. Without timely control, weeds will rob your field of valuable moisture and rob you of potential income.

The critical period of weed control is a period in the crop growth cycle when weeds must be controlled to prevent yield loss.  UNL research has shown that each crop has such a period and that it is influenced by cropping practices such as nitrogen level in the crop. Delaying weed removal beyond the start of the identified period of weed control will cost a producer an average of 2% in yield loss per every leaf stage of delay in both corn and soybean.  (Watch upcoming issues of CropWatch for more information on these critical periods for corn and soybean.)

Row Crops

• Narrow Row Spacing in Soybeans Aids Velvetleaf Control

Pasture Management

• Controlling Western Ragweed in Pasture
• Control Hoary Vervain in Early June
• Controlling Common Mullein in Pastures