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Purdue doctoral student working on combatting soybean herbicide injury

A Purdue doctoral student says one of the biggest problems farmers face is post-emergence herbicide injury in soybeans.

Marcelo Zimmer says bringing new options to growers is crucial.

“If we can use targeted applications and spray to reduce crop injury, maybe we can bring new active ingredients to the market in the future that right now, maybe they’re just marginal for use because of crop injury,” he says. “But if we can reduce the overall crop injury with targeted sprays, maybe there will be a feasible option for control in the future.”

He tells Brownfield post-emergence herbicide use should be minimal.

“One of our main messages is to use a strong residual herbicide at planting, because that’s going to be the way you can actually save herbicides on your post emergency application, and it’s also a good resistance management strategy too,” he says.

Zimmer says Purdue University will have several new innovations coming to the market within the next year.

AUDIO: Marcello Zimmer, Purdue University