ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Including corn in a crop rotation provides growers with a great opportunity to get a handle on problematic weeds, such as palmer amaranth. Field Crop Agent, Anthony Growe, tells us how in this short video:
Corn is a very competitive crop and when it’s planted on narrow row spacings, 30 inches or even down to 20 inches, canopy closure will be achieved earlier in the season. This will shade-out the row middles sooner which aids in weed control. In addition to corn’s competitive nature, growers can also utilize some herbicide chemistries not typically used in cotton, peanuts or soybeans.
Herbicide products including atrazine, and HPPD inhibitors, such as mesotrione, have activity on a broad spectrum of weeds and offer some flexibility for pre or post-emergence applications. One thing to be cognizant of is the over-reliance on our Group 15 chemistries, such as S-metolachor. These products are used extensively in soybeans so it’s important that we preserve their efficacy by tank-mixing other modes of action when possible.
Remember, to have a sound weed control program, we need to:
- Start clean with a burndown or spring tillage;
- Stay clean with pre and post-emergence applications utilizing atrazine and HPPD inhibitors
- Keep clean in the future by rotating our modes of action; using tank mixes, and overlapping residuals to help combat herbicide resistance.
This video was sponsored by the Corn Growers Association of NC.
Read more at: https://corn.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/04/using-corn-to-your-advantage-in-weed-control/
–Anthony Growe, N.C. State Extension