Palmer, Palmer and More Palmer
Having second thoughts about the herbicide applicator you hired this year because he missed some spots in your field? Maybe you should think again. Those “missed” spots could very well be a breeding ground for glyphosate-resistant Palmer pigweed. We heard this story from a weed scientist in Arkansas and thought it was too good not to share. Last year, a grower mistakenly believed that the young sprayer he hired wasn’t paying attention and must have been driving crooked to have so many escapes. Attributing the breakthroughs to sprayer error, he continued with a post-only glyphosate program. This year, you cannot take a step in his soybean fields without tripping over a pigweed. And, he thinks he’ll be lucky to yield 10 bu/A in those fields.
That’s just one example of weed resistance nightmares we’ve heard from weed scientists across the South. In Arkansas, Palmer has infested more than 750,000 acres this year, and specialists in the area predict that number will climb significantly once the grower surveys are reviewed.
Though it’s not possible to turn back time and add pre-plant or pre-emergence herbicides to your program this year, now is the time to plan for next year. What residual herbicide will you add to your program to keep pigweed seeds from germinating? When will you hire scouts to catch possible breaks in your fields so you can come back in and spray before your field looks like this?
