Why Should You Calibrate Your Sprayer Even If it has a Rate Controller?

by: Erdal Ozkan, OSU

Whenever I give a presentation about the need to calibrate a sprayer and how to do it, there is always someone asking me this same question: “I have a rate controller in the cab that regulates the flow rate of the sprayer regardless of the changes in sprayer ground speed. I just enter the gallons per acre application rate, and the controller does the rest, just like a cruise control in a car. So, should I still calibrate the sprayer? The answer is, Yes, a calibration should be done. Although the rate controllers do an excellent job with regulating the flow rate of nozzles to keep the application rate constant regardless of the changes in travel speed, a manual calibration at least once a year is needed for two reasons: 1) to ensure the rate controller is functioning properly, 2) the rate controller is not forced to operate outside the pressure operating range for the nozzles on the sprayer boom. Let me elaborate on both points I made and share with you the reasons why a manual calibration of a sprayer is a good idea. Continue reading

Wheat Growth Stages

OK, Mother Nature is not cooperating which means we can’t talk about corn and bean planting so let’s talk about the crop we do have growing – Wheat

Source: K-State University

Knowing what growth stage your wheat crop is at is essential for nitrogen, herbicide and possibly fungicide applications.  Most of the wheat I have seen in the county so far is between Feekes 5 and Feekes 6.

Feekes 5 is the time to be making your last nitrogen applications and applying herbicides as needed for weed control.  However at Feekes 6 you should cutoff for nitrogen applications to avoid leaf injury.  Additionally some growth regulator herbicides, like 2, 4-D and dicamba should not be applied.

Alternative spring burndown/postemergence strategies when herbicides are in short supply

by: Dr Mark Loux, OSU

There is a lot of speculation about herbicide shortages for the 2022 growing season, and some products are apparently getting more expensive and/or scarce now. This will affect herbicide buying and weed management decisions for the 2022 season. The two main active ingredients that we’re hearing about right now are glyphosate (Roundup, others) and glufosinate (Liberty, others), for which prices have increased substantially. There will likely be limited supplies of other pesticide active ingredients as well, but in the short term, a shortage of these two active ingredients poses some major challenges for corn and soybean production. The purpose of this article is to discuss ways to minimize the impact of herbicide shortages, primarily glyphosate, on corn and soybean production. As you search for alternatives to these two herbicides and others, the weed control guides and technical guides produced by University Extension and industry are an important tool for planning weed management programs and herbicide purchases.

Some guiding principles based on our experience that may help with decisions, especially where glyphosate will not be in all applications:

  1. Spring tillage is an option to replace herbicide burndown. Can cause long-term compaction problems if tilled when too wet. Waiting until weeds are large makes tillage less effective. Weeds that survive tillage will be difficult to control with POST herbicides. In other words, till when soil conditions are fit and before weeds are huge.
  1. Where it’s only possible to use glyphosate once, it may be needed most in the burndown. Saflufenacil can be added for enhanced control of rye and ryegrass, and marestail. ACCase herbicides (e.g. clethodim, quizalifop) can then be used for POST grass control in soybeans. Glufosinate, Enlist Duo, or XtendiMax/Engenia can be used for many broadleaf weeds, especially the glyphosate-resistant ones. Where residual herbicides are omitted, or do not provide enough control, we would expect POST treatments to struggle more in the absence of glyphosate with weeds such as lambsquarters. So use residuals. Glyphosate is still more than just a grass herbicide.

Continue reading

Required Dicamba Training

I just received this from BASF and thought I would pass it along.

 

Dear Engenia® herbicide Customer,

BASF is excited to announce that annual dicamba applicator training offerings are now available. This training is required for every applicator who applies Engenia herbicide or other dicamba-based herbicides approved for over-the-top (OTT) applications on dicamba- tolerant soybean and cotton.

Applicator training and certification can be obtained in multiple formats based on your schedule and needs. Due to COVID-19, dicamba applicator training will be primarily available through online offerings such as a self-paced training module and live virtual webinars. Limited in person dicamba applicator training opportunities may be available in your area, your local BASF representative will alert you to these sessions.

Please visit www.Engeniaherbicide.com/training.html for training options.

Self-Paced Online Module:

BASF has changed platforms for the 2022 season to enhance the experience and reliability of our online training module. This self-paced option will take approximately one hour to complete and contains a mandatory quiz at the end. Once the module is completed a certificate is displayed that should be kept for your records. A copy of your certificate will also be provided to the e-mail address you use to register for the course. It is recommended that you complete this training on a web browser through a computer with a reliable internet connection.

Live Virtual Webinars:

Live webinars, hosted by BASF experts, review the same content provided in the online module but this format allows for the opportunity to address questions from attendees during the session. There will be a total of 10 events that are scheduled to occur on select Tuesdays at 10 AM Eastern. These webinars start on February 1, 2022 and run through June 7, 2022 Attendance is limited to the first 250 attendees per event so register early for the event that best fits your schedule. Live Virtual Webinars are scheduled for:

February 1, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

February 8, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

February 15, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

February 22, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

March 1, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

March 8, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

March 15, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

April 12, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

May 10, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

June 7, 2022 @ 10 AM Eastern

As a reminder only certified applicators may apply Engenia herbicide or other dicamba-based herbicides approved for over-the-top (OTT) applications on dicamba tolerant soybean and cotton. Some states have or are actively considering additional restrictions and requirements. Check with your state pesticide regulatory agency for additional training and application requirements or restrictions and to stay current on any new developments.

New Enlist Labels – When Enlist is Outlawed, Only Outlaws……

By: Dr. Mark  Loux, OSU Extension

Sometimes you’d like the s**t to stop hitting the fan just long enough to get cleaned up, but you can’t get a break. Like when you’re in the middle of an endless pandemic, a worldwide shipping fiasco, herbic ide scarcities and price increases, and parts shortages. And just when you had it worked out to use Enlist herbicides on Enlist soybeans for 2022 so you wouldn’t have to deal with dicamba, their use is no longer legal in your county. We’re trying to find something reassuring to say here, but there’s not much.  The USEPA issued a new seven-year registration for Enlist One and Enlist Duo, valid through January 2029.  Changes include a revised application cutoff for soybeans, “through R1” that replaces “up to R2” on previous labels, and the addition of  a slew of spray nozzles to the approved nozzle list.  The most significant change for Ohio is that due to changes in Endangered Species information, Enlist One and Enlist Duo cannot be used in 12 Ohio counties:  Athens, Butler, Fairfield, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hocking, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Vinton, and Washington. We contacted Corteva to see if this was likely to change anytime soon, and got no assurances of this, although the PR information they have distributed indicates it is possible.

This really couldn’t happen at a worse time for growers in these counties. We lack solid information on herbicide availability and price, and it’s a fluid situation, but it appears that glyphosate and glufosinate can be in short supply, and prices high.  Glyphosate resistance in key weed species makes us dependent on POST soybean herbicide systems based on use of glufosinate (Liberty etc), dicamba (XtendiMax/Engenia), or 2,4-D (Enlist One/Duo). The Enlist system allows use of glyphosate, glufosinate, and 2,4-D, and combinations of these.  While Enlist soybeans are tolerant of other 2,4-D products, Enlist One and Duo are the approved 2,4-D products for all POST applications to Enlist soybeans, and any preplant or preemergence applications that occur less than 7 days before planting or anytime after planting.  As far as we know, this prohibition of use does not apply to legal uses of other 2,4-D products.  Some things to consider here:

– Some growers/applicators were planning on omitting glyphosate from burndown and/or POST applications.  In the Enlist system, this increases the overall importance of the 2,4-D in these applications.  Where the Enlist products cannot be used, revaluation of the mixture is warranted.  It may be necessary to use glyphosate, or an alternative 2,4-D product in the burndown (with a 7-day wait to plant), or other herbicides, such as Sharpen or Gramoxone.

– The most obvious replacement for Enlist products in POST applications is glufosinate since glyphosate won’t control most populations of ragweed, waterhemp, or marestail.  Growers going this route should check on availability and price immediately, since supply seems to be finite.  For those in the 12 counties who are unwilling or unable to use glufosinate, the Enlist soybean essentially becomes a RoundupReady soybean with respect to herbicide use.

– Most users of glufosinate supplement the grass control by including either glyphosate, or a POST grass herbicide such as clethodim.  Glufosinate is weak on barnyardgrass and yellow foxtail, volunteer corn, and large grasses in general.

– While spray volume and nozzle type are not that critical for effectiveness of 2,4-D and glyphosate, glufosinate requires these to be optimized to maximize activity.  Most growers tell us that for glufosinate, 20 gpa works better than lower spray volumes.  The nozzles that work well to minimize off-target movement of Enlist products may not be optimum for glufosinate.

– Where 2,4-D cannot be used in the POST, the effectiveness of the residual herbicides used becomes more important.  Glufosinate applied alone or with just a grass herbicide can be less effective on certain broadleaf species, and large weeds in general, compared with mixtures of 2,4-D with glufosinate or glyphosate.  We recommend using residual herbicides at planting, and possibly increasing herbicide rates and the overall complexity of the mixture.

Information we have received from Corteva includes several documents with explanation of label changes and restrictions, and supplemental labels for Enlist One and Enlist Duo.  Aside from this, we don’t know any more than anyone else.

Save the Dates – Central Ohio Agronomy School

Due to COVID uncertainties the 2022 Central Ohio Agronomy School has been pushed to March. 

Monday March 7 – 6:30 – 9:00p.m.

Monday March 14 – 6:30 – 9:00p.m.

Monday March 21 – 6:30 – 9:00p.m.

Monday March 28 – 6:30 – 9:00p.m.

The School will be at the new Ramser 4-H Activity Center (on the fairgrounds)

700 Perimeter Dr.  Mount Vernon, OH  43050

More details to come