Wheat Weed Solutions: Southern Plains Region

In the Southern Plains, U.S. wheat growers are performing a balancing act between when is the right time to apply herbicides and when weather will allow them to access a field to execute their weed control programs. This situation affects decision-making and changes herbicide plans mid-stream, from what type of herbicide to apply and to which tank-mix partners to use.

When weather is unpredictable, using a herbicide with flexible application timing is non-negotiable for growers. Luckily, Anthem^® Flex herbicide has a wide window for application on winter wheat and provides strong residual control. However, the earlier it's applied, the better.

To avoid the crunch from environmental and operational factors, winter wheat growers need to look closely at timing principles and effective solutions to get the job done.

• Weeds should be targeted in the fall and through the winter until early spring timing when they are growing but are less than 4 inches tall and producing new leaf emergence and not experiencing dormancy.
• Growers should keep an eye on the weather before applying herbicides on wheat. Excessive rainfall or irrigation can cause prolonged stunting or stand loss if the soil becomes overly saturated.
• Many preemergent herbicides should be applied when the seedbank is free of clods, cracks, trash crop residue and weeds. Wheat seeds must be planted 1-inch to 1.5-inches deep prior to herbicide application.
• As an extra precaution, growers can apply Affinity^® BroadSpec herbicide with TotalSol^® soluble granules as a burndown treatment for winter wheat fields and as a tank-mix partner in controlling weeds in cereal crops.

Every operation needs a strong weed management program for peace of mind in controlling weeds to focus on producing high-quality wheat. There are tools and strategies growers can use to control many weed spectrums affecting winter wheat.

Help keep your wheat fields clean of the following key weeds this season and beyond.