The number of biological products available to row crop growers has surged in recent years. The newest products are designed to enhance crop management and productivity. However, the rapid expansion of biological products has created some confusion around what biologicals are and what they can do.
Italian ryegrass (Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum) has been confirmed to harbor resistance to ALS, clethodim, glyphosate and paraquat herbicides in the southern United States (Heap 2023). There is no good control option for this herbicide-resistant ryegrass if management is postponed until the spring. Fall residual herbicide applications are necessary to control herbicide-resistant ryegrass populations effectively in the Midsouth states.
With wheat planting just around the corner, growers will soon be focused on managing crop inputs. Depending on where wheat is produced, troublesome, herbicide-resistant grasses and key broadleaf weed species continue to be a challenge for U.S. wheat growers.
Weeds and grasses can diminish yield potential. One key decision that coincides with wheat planting is how to effectively manage yield-robbing weeds to avoid potential loss and dockage at the grain elevator.