A sprayer makes a post-emergence application of corn herbicide.

We’ve all been there – texting with friends or significant others about where to eat – and then received the dreaded “I don’t know, you decide” reply. Decisions are tough, and no one wants to make the wrong call. Choosing the right corn herbicide is no different. It’s tough. There are many options, many factors and not much room for error given current commodity prices. So what’s the best approach to selecting your corn herbicide for 2019? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make the right choice for your operation:

Step 1: Identify your goal

In this case, controlling tough weeds in corn from planting through harvest.

• Controlling tough weeds from the start of the season through harvest maximizes yield potential and reduces the weed seed bank, saving you time and money in future seasons
• Strong weed control in corn can also help reduce weed problems in soybeans if you plan to rotate the following season
• Early-season competition from just a few weeds can permanently impact the way corn plants grow, reducing yield potential from the start. So it’s important to start the season with clean, weed-free fields

Step 2: Gather information

• Combine scouting notes gathered during the 2018 season with what you’re seeing from the combine at harvest. Are there any weeds in your field? If so, what are they, and what herbicides/sites of action did you use? Are there resistant populations? If so, what sites of action are they resistant to?
• When selecting a corn herbicide, make sure that it contains sites of action that are effective on your tough-to-control weeds

Step 3: Identify your options considering the information gathered

• Consult with your local Syngenta representative, retailer, crop advisor or neighbor and ask for input.
• Check company websites, company customer service centers and or brochures for product information, again, making sure that each corn herbicide option being considered is effective on your toughest weeds.
• While cost is an important factor, remember that there may be hidden costs associated with less effective or cheaper herbicide options. If a herbicide costs less than a more expensive option but results in application issues, resprays or significantly less yield at the end of the season, it may not actually be the best, most cost-effective, choice

Step 4: Weigh the evidence gathered and make a decision

Step 5: Evaluation

• Remember to evaluate your corn herbicide program at the end of each season. Staying ahead of problematic weeds and resistant varieties before they become widespread can save you a lot of headaches and money

For control of the toughest weeds in corn, we recommend Acuron® herbicide. Acuron combines 4 active ingredients with 3 effective sites of action (Groups 5, 15 and 27), controlling 70+ tough weeds with the added benefit of a flexible application window. Watch as growers and retailers describe why they choose Acuron:

Acuron and its atrazine-free counterpart, Acuron Flexi, can both be applied in a 1 or 2-pass system. In 2-pass systems, a foundation rate of either Acuron or Acuron Flexi can also be followed with Halex® GT herbicide plus either an atrazine or dicamba product. Applying Halex GT post-emergence adds an additional SOA (Groups 9, 15 and 27).

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