In today’s Almond Matters, brought to you by Valent, getting a postemergence herbicide application done when weeds first begin to appear is going to be an important component for successful management. Getting an early start to herbicide applications can make the process easier and more effective, and can also save a grower time and money.
“Baby weeds are easier to kill than things that have been established and got their root systems down and they’re starting to accumulate carbohydrates as storage compounds within the plant and in the roots,” said Todd Burkdoll, Field Market Development Specialist for Valent USA. “It’s always better to get on them when they’re young. They’re easier to kill and you can get better coverage that way.”
Now is the point in the season where growers see the efficacy of their preemergent treatments. Any soil disturbances or a lack of rainfall to activate certain preemergent materials could have created an opportunity for weeds to take hold. Fortunately for growers, there are number of effective postemergence materials that are available.
“Select Max is a really good option there, it’s very efficacious on grassy weeds,” Burkdoll noted. “If you’ve got grasses coming through whether they be annuals – right now it’d probably be summer annuals starting to pop up – or perennial grasses like Bermuda and Johnson grass those can be problematic. Select’s a really good choice for killing those grassy weeds as well.”
To optimize the efficacy of a postemergence herbicide, growers will want to ensure they are getting good coverage during an application. Getting on top of weeds and grasses early can eliminate the need for multiple applications, but density and orchard history will ultimately determine the number of applications that will be necessary. “You might have to make sequential applications especially in an established situation where you’ve gotten Bermuda grass that’s been there a while and it’s got a pretty good rhizome mass under the soil, or Johnson grass it’s the same thing,” Burkdoll explained.
Listen to the report below.