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Managing weeds crucial to protecting yields

Many farmers are looking for ways to reduce costs without impacting productivity. But, Will Griffin, row crop segment manager with Valent U.S.A., says, “It’s really difficult to save your way to prosperity.”

He tells Brownfield when farmers cut corners on inputs, they risk yield loss. “I don’t think you could cut herbicides enough to really increase your opportunity for profitability,” he says.  “But you can cut it enough that it will damage your ability for profit.”

He says protecting yields is essential, but it’s more than that. “Look at it from the standpoint of we’re protecting the investment that we’ve made in fertilizer,” he says.  “We’re protecting the investment that the producers made in seed. And the only way to do that is to have proper weed control.”

The USDA projects crop cash receipts to fall 2.3 percent to $239.6 billion for 2025, driven by a nearly $6 billion reduction in revenue from corn and soybeans.

AUDIO: Will Griffin, Valent U.S.A.