Caption: Pana, IL: Agronomy Service Representative Nate Prater talks to growers about the importance of applying a burndown herbicide application before using vertical tillage in soybean fields.

A demonstration plot at an Aug. 16 Grow More Experience event in Pana, IL, highlighted the importance of burndown timing when using vertical tillage. A burndown application of 3pt/A Gramoxone® SL 2.0 herbicide was applied on two plots, and the only difference was application timing. One plot was treated with Gramoxone SL 2.0 before vertical tillage and the other was treated with Gramoxone SL 2.0 after vertical tillage. Both plots also received an application of 2 pt/A Boundary® 6.5 EC herbicide to simulate a pre-emergence application of a residual herbicide. The results showed a clear difference in weed control:

Caption: Bare ground treated with Gramoxone SL 2.0 before vertical tillage (Bottom) vs. bare ground treated with Gramoxone SL 2.0 after using vertical tillage (Top) shows a clear difference in weed pressure.

Start clean and stay clean in 2018 with a burndown application before vertical tillage. This gives you the chance to incorporate another mode of action into your weed management program. Then before planting, make a pre-emergence application of a residual herbicide with additional modes of action to provide extended weed control until post-emergence timing. See our soybean herbicide sheet for a full list of options to protect your soybean investment from yield-robbing weeds.

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