Special Report

Managing weed control early this year

Warm winter weather has fields greening up and an agronomist says that could create additional weed control challenges for farmers this spring.

University of Illinois’ Aaron Hager says the survival of fall and winter annuals has been really high.  “We would encourage farmers, if you had the opportunity to try and work on these winter annuals population,” he says.  “Especially in no-till systems before they get tremendous size to them.  I think in the long-run it’s going to be a better way to do that – rather than trying to wait until you get around to it in the future.”

He tells Brownfield that means farmers will need to be more aggressive in weed control this year.  “It’s hard to be too early,” he says.  “Especially given a year like this to try and manage the winter annuals that currently exist and having this plan in place as to what we’re going to do now for the summer annuals.  Especially if it’s the herbicide resistant weeds we’re continued with.”

AUDIO: Aaron Hager, University of Illinois

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