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Dr. Joe Ikley is an Extension Weed Specialist at North Dakota State University and joins us to explain why fall weed control is crucial to best crop management. His extension responsibilities there include weed control on all row crops except for sugar beets and potatoes. 

“We do just want to emphasize as many ways as we can that these weeds will be easier to control this fall than they will be in the spring…. Taking advantage of these weeds that are up now and killing them off before they go into winter is one of the best things we can do to prepare us for 2021.” - Dr. Joe Ikley

“Horseweed was one of the first weeds, the first weed in the US, to start taking advantage of overuse or over-reliance on glyphosate.” In crops like corn or soybeans we are able to apply a second herbicide in the spring if needed but with pulse crops that is not an option. This makes identifying and treating the weed when it germinates in the fall vital to maintaining weed control into the spring for pulse growers. Despite glyphosate resistance, Dr. Ikley still sees value in its use.

“Pulse crops have much longer rotation restrictions with the herbicides that we apply. But there’s still several that we can use in the fall that are pretty effective on the weeds that we’re dealing with. So for those grasses that we’re dealing with, its still going to be glyphosate.” - Dr. Joe Ikley

He goes on to suggest different additions, such as 2,4-D or Valor, that you can add to your fall spraying that will help to manage resistant weeds.  Dr. Ikley has seen as much as 90% control of kochia in the spring by treatment with Valor in the fall. He does recommend careful reading of labels to make sure any additions or herbicides used comply with producers plans for any pulse crop planting.

This Week on Growing Pulse Crops:

• Meet Dr. Joe Ikley an Extension Weed Specialist at North Dakota State University
• Explore the effects of fall weed control on spring weed control programs
• Learn what protocols are available for pulse crop application and what new research is coming out that will be of benefit  

Growing Pulse Crops Podcast is hosted by Tim Hammerich of the Future of Agriculture Podcast.