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Posted 7 October 2009. Crop Management. Purdue Specialist Offers Tips for Weed Control Before Planting Wheat Source: Purdue University Press Release. www.ag.purdue.edu West Lafayette, Indiana (September 30, 2009)--Farmers looking to plant winter wheat after harvesting corn and soybean fields should place weed control near the top of their priority list, said a Purdue University specialist.
Weed management is important because it helps with stand establishment, said Bill Johnson, Purdue Extension weed specialist. "In areas of the state we've had a relatively dry fall, and these weeds can continue to deplete soil moisture and result in poor wheat stands," he said. Weeds to be on the lookout for include: chickweed, henbit, purple deadnettle, dandelion and winter annual grasses such as Carolina foxtail, annual bluegrass and little barley. There are only two broad spectrum herbicides labeled for use before planting wheat - glyphosate and gramoxone - Johnson said. "If you have dandelions, which are a perennial weed, I would use glyphosate," he said. "For winter annual weeds, you can use gramoxone or glyphosate." Johnson also points out that 2,4-D is not labeled for use in the fall. "It's used very commonly in the spring for postemergence weed control, but 2,4-D is not labeled for use in the fall for wheat production," he said. "This can result in poor pollination and incomplete fill of the heads next spring." After wheat is planted, Johnson recommends scouting for weeds three to four weeks after the wheat emerges. If weeds like henbit, purple deadnettle, chickweed and dandelion are present, fall treatments can be applied to help suppress the weeds and aid with tillering and stand establishment of wheat. Contact: |
