Wet and Weedy in Central Illinois
Recent travel east of St. Louis, in south central Illinois, underscored the fact that this season has been very wet and frustrating indeed. The wet spring and summer means growers are facing delayed planting, thinning populations, postponed herbicide applications and very weedy conditions. As evidenced in the photo below, some fields, like this one, are overly saturated with standing water.
This photo not only shows standing water in the field, but also documents waterhemp, which growers will see more of in the next month as populations begin to emerge and become more evident.. Other weeds that were prominent in fields were giant ragweed, common ragweed, volunteer corn, lambsquarters and marestail (horseweed).
You can see in this photo what a problem glyphosate-resistant horseweed has become. Even though this field was treated with glyphosate recently, you can see the tops of the horseweed plants starting to green up again, and grow out of the herbicide application.
Because the wet weather has made any kind of trip across the field difficult, weeds have had more opportunity to compete with the crop. This picture below shows early emerging soybeans and the weed competition that stands in the way of healthy growth.
What has the wet weather meant for your crop and weed populations? How are you managing weeds in your field? Have you been able to see the benefits of a pre-emergence application, like Lexar® or Prefix®?
Is waterhemp a problem in your fields? What weeds do you expect to be the biggest obstacle for you this year?
Important: Always read and follow label directions before buying and using these products. Lexar® is a Restricted Use Pesticide. Lexar® and Prefix® are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.