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An often overlooked — yet critical — step in starting the new season strong is a proper spring burndown.
Some growers believe there isn't enough weed pressure to warrant it, or they think they can manage it after crop emergence or during in-crop herbicide applications, but spring burn-off with a product like Glyphosate 5.4lb Value Pick and an effective tank mix partner is an excellent method to control troublesome weeds while incorporating different herbicide modes of action (M.O.A.) into your herbicide rotation.
Using different, effective M.O.A.s like Florasulam 0.42 lb and Maxunitech Carfentrazone 2 ECwith Glyphosate 5.4lb Value Pick ensures strong crop establishment and provides additional weed control options for later in-crop herbicide applications.
Here are nine reasons to prioritize a proactive burndown strategy this season:
Those green weeds across your fields are active pumps, pulling deep-soil moisture out of the profile and releasing it into the air through transpiration. In a dry spring, that "green bridge" can deplete the moisture your seeds need for uniform germination.
The Tool: Glyphosate 5.4 is a foundational non-selective herbicide that provides the systemic action needed to shut down heavy biomass before it robs your moisture.
Living weeds are heavy feeders. They sequester nitrogen that should be available to your corn at the V2–V4 stage. By burning down at least 14 days before planting, you ensure that nutrients are cycling back into the soil rather than being tied up in weed tissue.
The Tool: 2,4-D LV6 is a high-load phenoxy that accelerates the collapse of broadleaf weed tissue. By causing rapid, twisted growth and subsequent vascular breakdown, it helps ensure that the biomass begins to decompose—and release its nitrogen—much sooner than with glyphosate alone.
Planting into "rubbery," half-dead weeds often leads to hair-pinning, where the row unit pushes residue into the seed trench instead of cutting through it. This creates poor seed-to-soil contact and uneven stands.
The Tool: Paraquat (Willowood Paraquat 3SL) provides rapid desiccation, turning green tissue into brittle residue that snaps easily under the disc openers.
Winter annuals and cover crops are primary egg-laying sites for Black Cutworm and Seedcorn Maggot. Eliminating these hosts two to three weeks before planting forces pests to move out of the field before your crop emerges.
The Tool: Florasulam 0.42 lb is an excellent tank-mix partner here. As an ALS inhibitor (Group 2), it provides high-level activity on many of the small broadleaf winter annuals—like chickweed and various mustards—that serve as the primary nurseries for early-season pests.
Relying on a single mode of action (MOA) is no longer a viable strategy for long-term farm profitability. Many common weeds have developed metabolic resistance, allowing them to break down herbicides before they take effect. A diversified spring burndown allows you to hit weeds with multiple MOAs simultaneously, increasing the probability of a complete kill and slowing the development of resistant populations.
The Tool: Combining Glyphosate 5.4lb Value Pick with a PPO inhibitor like Maxunitech Carfentrazone 2 EC ensures you are attacking the weed's biology from two different directions (Group 9 and Group 14), providing much more reliable control than either product used alone.
Dark, bare soil absorbs solar radiation far more efficiently than soil covered in a living green mat. A clean field can see soil temperatures 3°C to 5°C higher than a weed-choked one, which is the difference between a crop that pops out of the ground and one that sits and rots.
The most effective burndown programs include a residual component. By "layering" your herbicides, you ensure that the second flush of weeds—like Waterhemp or Palmer Amaranth—is suppressed before it ever sees the sun.
The Tool: Metolachlor (Willowood Metolachlor 8E) adds a layer of residual protection against grasses and small-seeded broadleafs.
It’s a matter of physics: it’s easier to hit a 2-inch weed than to spray through a 10-inch canopy. Early burndown ensures your spray droplets actually reach the soil surface, which is critical for the efficacy of your pre-emergence chemistry.
Yield components in corn are determined surprisingly early. If a young plant senses competition from neighboring weeds, it can lead to physiological changes that limit potential ear size. Starting with a clean slate ensures your genetics are never in "defense mode."
Spring burndown sets the stage for a successful growing season by reducing early competition, simplifying weed management, and mitigating resistance risks. It's a proactive approach that pays dividends in crop health and yield.
Shop for crop protection products and find the necessary tools at FBN to support pre-plant burndown. With a diverse herbicide portfolio, we offer a wide range of effective product options for growers like you to support pre-plant burndown.
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