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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 can manage it after crop emergence or during in-crop herbicide applications, but spring burn-off with a product like Smoke 540 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 FBN Florasulam and Maxunitech Carfentrazone with Smoke 540 ensures crop establishment and provides additional weed control options for later in-crop herbicide applications.
An effective spring burndown strategy with the right tank mix and application timing can help you to:
Reduce Resource Competition: Early-season weeds compete with crops for essential resources like light, water, and nutrients. Even minimal weed presence can significantly impact crop establishment and yield potential. By addressing weeds before planting, you ensure that your crops have the best possible start.
Increase Herbicide Effectiveness: Managing weeds after crop emergence can be more challenging and less effective. Post-emergence herbicide applications often have limited windows of effectiveness and can be less efficient if weeds are already well-established. Additionally, post-emergence treatments can sometimes cause crop injury, further reducing yield potential.
Limit Future Herbicide Resistance: Relying solely on later-season herbicide applications can lead to resistance issues. Weeds that survive initial treatments can develop resistance, making them harder to control in subsequent seasons. A comprehensive weed management strategy, including spring burndown, helps prevent resistance by reducing the weed seed bank and minimizing the chances of resistant weed populations establishing.
Soil Temperature and Moisture Management: Early weed control helps maintain optimal soil temperature and moisture levels. Weeds can create a microenvironment that retains excess moisture and keeps the soil cooler, which can delay planting and crop emergence. By eliminating these weeds, the soil warms up and dries out more quickly, allowing for timely planting and better seedbed conditions.
Disease and Pest Management: Weeds can serve as hosts for various pests and diseases. By controlling weeds early, you reduce the habitat for these pests and pathogens, thereby lowering the risk of infestations and infections that could affect your crops later in the season.
Improved Herbicide Efficacy: Spring burndown allows for the use of non-selective herbicides, which can be more effective at controlling a broad spectrum of weeds compared to selective post-emergence herbicides. This can lead to a cleaner field and reduce the need for multiple herbicide applications later in the season.
Reduced Tillage Requirements: Effective spring burndown can reduce the need for mechanical tillage, which can help preserve soil structure and reduce erosion. This is particularly beneficial in regions with fragile soils or where conservation tillage practices are being implemented.
Enhanced Nutrient Availability: Weeds can deplete soil nutrients that are essential for crop growth. By controlling weeds early, you ensure that more nutrients are available for your crops, leading to better growth and higher yields.
Operational Efficiency: Implementing a spring burndown program can streamline field operations by reducing the weed burden early on. This can lead to more efficient use of labor and equipment.
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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Written by Norm℠, reviewed and edited by Mikaela Tierney.
This content was generated with the assistance of Norm℠, FBN’s artificial intelligence (AI) Ag Advisor, based on a dataset of information containing general industry best practices and research. The AI model did not use specific external sources to generate this content. Our process involves using AI to aid human subject matter experts with the initial drafting and/or refinement of content.
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