Let weeds sneak in early during the critical weed-free period early in the season and you’ll lose yield even when the crop and the weeds are small.
Not only will weeds compete for water and nutrients, but plants can also change their growth pattern in the face of competition. Your crop detects changes in the spectrum of light around it and compensates by pushing down shallower roots or reducing size. The result is lower yield potential.
There are three categories of pre-seed herbicides from FMC.
Burnoff
Spring burnoff happens pre-seed or pre-emergence of the crop. An effective burnoff herbicide knocks down early weeds so you can begin seeding into a clean field. It’s a great way to handle tough winter annuals and biennials that have overwintered, such as stinkweed, flixweed, shepherd’s purse or narrow-leaved hawk’s beard. Spring burnoff is also a good time to target early germinating annuals like kochia, volunteer canola and cleavers.
Glyphosate alone is not enough for this job. At the very least you need to tank-mix with products with different modes of action to forestall herbicide resistance. Also keep in mind that there are an increasing number of weeds, such as kochia, that glyphosate struggles to control.
Herbicides such as Aim® EC herbicide control resistant broadleaf weeds and keeps cropping options open with a Group 14 mode of action. Intruvix™ herbicide is the ideal burnoff field prep for cereals, bringing fast activity and the power of systemic action with four modes of action when tank-mixed with glyphosate. And, Express®-brand herbicides add the power of multiple modes of action to glyphosate, some of which include extended control.
Extended weed control
Manage weed pressure as the crop becomes established with a pre-seed or pre-emergent herbicide with extended control.
Once again, glyphosate alone isn’t enough since it will control weeds that have already emerged. Extended weed control products available from FMC create a herbicide layer once the product goes into a solution with an activation rain or moisture event. This layer protects against later weed flushes, reducing competition while the crop gets established.
Extended weed control products such as Authority® Supreme herbicide provide extended activity from Group 14 and 15 herbicide mode of actions on both grassy and broadleaf weeds. Authority® 480 herbicide brings a Group 14 mode of action to control kochia and other tough weeds. Command® 360 herbicide is a great choice for canola overrun with cleavers. It has a novel Group 13 mode of action.
Complete solution
A complete solution herbicide brings both burnoff and extended weed control – making it the perfect choice to launch a weed-free spring.
Command® Charge herbicide brings activity from two modes of action (Group 13 and 14) to protect against emerged broadleaf weeds including volunteer canola, lamb’s quarters and kochia, and extended activity on flushing cleavers and chickweed. Focus® herbicide uses Group 14 and 15 modes of action to provide enhanced burnoff and extended control of a wide weed spectrum. Both products are all-in-one resistance management tools.
Heavy competition for resources
The crop is competing with weeds for moisture and nutrients right away, so you need to protect your crop right from the start. Plus, using a pre-seed herbicide can help you balance other resource needs, including your time.
By spraying early, you help lessen the chance that weeds will outgrow crop stage restrictions for in-crop herbicides applications. It also means weeds will be smaller and more easily controlled by the in-crop herbicide.
No one better than Ollie on your side
Ollie the alligator, originally from the Bayou, is the living, breathing representation of a hot pre-seed herbicide. He won a hot sauce drinking contest but was left with blazing breath and the nickname, “Ollie the Fire-Breathing Alligator.” Rejected in Louisiana, he found a home in Saskatchewan as the FMC pre-seed burnoff mascot.
Remember Ollie this spring. Use an FMC herbicide this spring to take control of your toughest weed problems.
Always read and follow label instructions.
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FMC, the FMC logo, Aim, Authority, Command, Express, Focus, Intruvix, are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate.
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