Preemergence Applications Offer Peanut Growers Flexibility, Optimizes Yields
Indianapolis, IN - April 20, 2005
The end of the peanut program has Southeastern peanut acres on the rise. And, to ease the management-intensive crop’s demands, producers are reaping the time and yield benefits a preemergence herbicide application offers.
“If a grower can keep his fields weed-free for the first four weeks after planting, he will have a better chance of making optimum yields,” says Eric Prostko, assistant professor and extension weed specialist at the University of Georgia.
Data has shown significant yield losses can occur in peanuts from various weeds at a population density of only one plant per meter of row.1 In the study, common cocklebur reduced yields by up to 70 percent; common ragweed, 40 percent; wild poinsettia, 31 percent; Florida beggarweed, 24 percent; tropic croton, 20 percent and bristly starbur, 14 percent.
A preemergence application of Strongarm® herbicide offers broad-spectrum control against tough broadleaf weeds, including morningglory, cocklebur, tropic croton, Florida beggarweed, common ragweed, copperleaf, eclipta, pigweed and more. It can also be tank-mixed with soil-applied grass herbicides such as Sonalan®, which Prostko encourages for control of Florida pusley.
“In my personal opinion, regardless of whether you’re growing irrigated or dryland peanuts, every acre of peanuts needs a yellow herbicide like Sonalan or pendimethalin for control of Florida pusley,” Prostko says.
Terry Adams, manager at Royster-Clark in Dothan, Ala., agrees. “We apply Strongarm plus Sonalan, which provides great control of bristly starbur and Florida beggarweed,” he states. “With the weed pressure we have, Strongarm does an extremely good job, and everyone who uses it once comes back for more.”
“The reality is, there’s no one herbicide program that fits every field,” Prostko points out. “The key is to know the weed spectrum in a field and plan treatments accordingly. For example, if bristly starbur or copperleaf was a problem, I’d recommend a pre-application of Strongarm.”
In addition to protecting yields, a preemergence herbicide application can also buy producers time to focus attention on other crops.
“The value of a preemergence application, if it’s activated properly, is it keeps weeds out of the field and provides a sense of insurance until a post-application is needed,” Prostko says. “The treatment can buy a grower some time to focus on weed management for cotton or other crops before having to come back to his peanuts.”
“You never know what weather is going to do, so it’s insurance if the rain holds you out of a field,” echoes Adams.
“The things we like about Strongarm is its performance and ease when putting it out, because the trip does not have to be as timely like with Cadre herbicide.” Activation is key.
“If you’re growing dryland peanuts and are sure you’re going to get a rain within seven to ten days, then I’d say go ahead and use Strongarm,” Prostko notes. “On irrigated acres, I would prefer to see the yellow herbicide tank-mixed with Strongarm. Plant, spray, then water it all in with the pivot.”
While Prostko encourages this tank mix, Adams says a lot of his pre-plant custom applications of Strongarm are tank mixes with fertilizer.
Crop rotation is another area producers face a challenge. Strongarm offers rotation flexibility with a ten-month rotation to cotton.
“Strongarm is a good rotation fit with cotton,” Adams explains. “We see some injury with Cadre that you don’t see with Strongarm. Also, Cadre causes some stunting in peanuts that you don’t see with Strongarm.
“Customers are very happy with Strongarm,” he adds. “We had a producer try it on 100 acres last year, and this year he is planning to apply it on almost 1,000 acres. Cadre does a good job, but it has to be a timely trip, because if you miss, weeds become too big and are not controlled.”
1W.E. Thomas, S.D. Askew and J.W. Wilcut; “Tropic croton interference in peanut. Weed Technology 18:119-123. 2004.
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For Editorial Information:
Amanda Powell
Bader Rutter & Associates
(770) 356-1480
apowell@bader-rutter.com
