A soybean seed emerges in KY in spring, 2020.

Here are some tips from local agronomists as you begin to plan for 2021:

Keep Weed Seed Out of Your Seed Bank

• Keeping your corn and soybean fields free of unwanted weed seed is crucial for weed control in the years to come. Here are some tips to consider:
  • Avoid harvesting crops located in areas that are densely populated with weeds.
  • Adjust your combine’s cutting height settings to minimize the amount of weed seed that is harvested.
  • Regularly clean farm equipment between harvesting different fields to avoid cross-contamination.
  • Destroy all weed seed left in the field after harvest.
• As you plan for next year, we recommend the following corn and soybean herbicides to start and stay clean all season long. Fewer weeds mean more sunlight, nutrients and water will be available for the growing crop, which leads to more bushels and more revenue potential.
  • For corn, consider a 2-pass herbicide program with multiple effective sites of action in an overlapping residual system like a foundation rate of Acuron® herbicide followed by Halex® GT fungicide.
  • For dicamba-tolerant soybeans, we recommend Tavium® Plus VaporGrip® Technology herbicide, the market’s first premix residual dicamba herbicide. Through its active ingredients, it controls the emerged weeds you see, and manages the weeds you don’t see yet.

Read Your Product Labels

• Reading and following the herbicide label instructions is important, as minor missteps in the application process, timing and rate can have a major impact on performance and lead to poor weed control and costly corrective measures. Every herbicide’s label tells you the active ingredients and site of action (SOA) groups it includes so you can target your toughest weeds. They also provide information on crop usage, interval windows, application timing, rates, adjuvants, spray equipment, mixing procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning storage and disposal.

Create a 2021 Disease Management Plan

• Many diseases can overwinter for years on corn, soybean and wheat crop residue, so inoculum may be present even after you rotate crops. Applying a fungicide when necessary is key for optimal disease control and plant health benefits. Choose a fungicide with preventive and curative activity against your disease spectrum:
  • Corn: When it comes to using a fungicide to protect against foliar corn diseases, timing is everything. This University of Kentucky study shows corn fungicides are most effective at controlling foliar diseases when applied at VT/R1. In 2021, consider a fungicide that works overtime to shut down key corn diseases like gray leaf spot, Northern corn leaf blight or southern rust. Trivapro® fungicide helps prevent diseases from starting and shuts down existing infections, resulting in higher potential yield.
  • Soybeans: 1 yield-robbing disease you should plan for is frogeye leaf spot. The earlier you take steps to manage this disease, the better. This University of Tennessee study says applying fungicides within the R3-R4 window is the best time to protect from the disease. We recommend you take preventative measures with Miravis® Top fungicide, a product that delivers superior disease control and plant-health benefits.
  • Wheat: For protection against diseases such as stripe rust, powdery mildew or Septoria leaf blight, we recommend Trivapro fungicide. If head scab is in your area, an application of Miravis® Ace fungicide is recommended to help improve grain quality and increase profit potential.

More Detailed Tips for 2021:

• How to Keep Weed Seed Out of Your Corn and Soybean Harvest
• Four Considerations When Choosing Your Corn Herbicide
• Your Checklist for Controlling 2021 Corn and Soybean Weeds
• Why You Should Read Herbicide Labels: Part 1; Part 2
• Don’t Miss Your Window for Optimal Disease Control
• Fight Frogeye Leaf Spot in Soybeans

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