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Late planted soybeans bring weed challenges

Even though planting is long over, late planting issues are still challenging growers in many parts of the region. This year’s planting delays contributed to late maturing soybeans, according to Kevin Bradley, an extension weed scientist at the University of Missouri.”That usually translates into the residual herbicides running out that much quicker, so unfortunately I’m seeing quite a bit of weeds in a lot of weedy fields,” said Bradley at a field day near Camden Point, Missouri.

AUDIO: Kevin Bradley (5 min. MP3)

And that, says Bradley, translates into a thinner margin for growers.

“In a lot of cases you hope to put down your pre-emergence herbicide and come back with one post-emergence application and almost certainly that’s not occurring this year,” said Bradley, “we’re having to do two. It’s just adding another trip across the field, so it can add up quite a bit.”

Treatment is recommended to control four to six inch weeds in soybean fields. Bradley suggests determining treatment thresholds by using the online Yield Loss Calculator from the University of Nebraska.