Farming is continuous work, so any efficiencies can be invaluable time-savers. One efficiency improvement you can make heading into 2020 is choosing the right corn herbicide program for your acres. An effective herbicide program prevents early-season competition from tough yield-robbing weeds and reduces the weed seed bank. Clean, weed-free corn fields help ensure maximum yields, an efficient combine ride and less chance of resistant weeds in future seasons.

The corn herbicide trial at the Mount Joy, PA, Grow More™ Experience site was planted May 16, 2019, and highlighted the difference between various programs in fields with barnyard grass, foxtail, lambsquarters, redroot pigweed and velvetleaf. Preemergence herbicide application were made on May 17, and post-emergence applications for the two-pass programs were made on June 15. Here’s what we saw on September 16:

Acuron® corn herbicide followed by Halex® GT corn herbicide plus atrazine. 93 days after the second treatment.

Lexar® EZ corn herbicide plus atrazine followed by Halex GT plus atrazine. 93 days after the second treatment.

One-pass Lumax® EZ corn herbicide plus atrazine and Princep®. 122 days after treatment (DAT).

One-pass Resicore® plus atrazine. 122 DAT.

One-pass Trizmax® plus atrazine. 122 DAT.

To start clean and stay clean in 2020, we recommend Acuron corn herbicide or its atrazine-free counterpart, Acuron Flexi. Both Acuron brands include multiple effective sites of action and provide burndown and residual control of tough weeds. Effective weed control can lead to higher yield potential. Trials show Acuron delivers 5-15* more bushels than other corn herbicides. With the commodity market we’re in right now, every bushel counts. In addition to higher potential yields, clean fields mean cleaner grain and less chance of being docked at the elevator for weed seed.

Acuron and Acuron Flexi can be applied in a 1- or 2-pass system (a foundation rate preemergence followed by the remaining rate post-emergence). In a 2-pass system, either Acuron brand can be followed by Halex GT plus an atrazine or dicamba brand.

Other good herbicide options include Lexar EZ and Lumax EZ. These corn herbicides provide long-lasting, broad-spectrum control of grass and broadleaf weeds.

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*Yield advantage range based on 2016 Syngenta and University trials comparing Acuron to Corvus®, Resicore®, SureStart® II and Verdict® applied preemergence and at full label rates. For more information on Acuron versus an individual product, ask your Syngenta representative.