Integrated Crop Management News

As spring plans are finalized, don’t forget to consider aerial imaging as part of a continuous improvement plan. Remote sensing and the use of aerial imagery has been used for decades in agriculture but since 2010 we’ve seen the number of available imagery providers grow extensively. The use of imagery can vary from farm to farm but several common uses include variable rate fertility recommendations, assessing water management performance, quantifying soil compaction and machinery induced yield limiters, locating late season weed outbreaks, and generally evaluating the consistency of crop vigor across a field. 

An earlier ICM News article discussing affects of nozzle type and size on spray coverage prompted a question from a farmer regarding nozzle selection. In recent years there have been many advances in nozzle design. The primary improvement has been development of nozzles that minimize the formation of driftable droplets (< 200 micron) while still producing a droplet spectrum that provides the level of coverage required for consistent, postemergence weed control.

Proper herbicide application is critical to ensure products achieve their full potential for weed control.  For postemergence herbicides, this includes application to appropriately sized weeds and equipping the sprayer to achieve uniform coverage of target weeds.

The first line of defense against herbicide resistance is using herbicide programs that include multiple herbicide groups effective against target weeds. When using premix products, this involves comparing the application rates of active ingredients in the premix versus rates applied with the stand-alone products. This step is needed to insure that the premix is providing an effective dose of the active ingredient.