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Weed pressure above average for Western Corn Belt farmers

Some Western Corn Belt producers say delayed planting and drought have created additional weed pressure.

Northeast Nebraska farmer Anne Meis tells Brownfield she’s seen an increase in water hemp and pigweeds this year. “We have gone back to the drawing board several times on what products to use to control weeds in our soybeans.  In order for those chemicals to work, you need to have the right growing conditions and we didn’t have them. We used a combination of weed control methods and dumped them together.”

Quentin Connealy farms along the Missouri River in Nebraska and says herbicide applications this year haven’t been as effective. “It seems like we got our pre’s on really early and it didn’t quite last until we got our posts on. We’ve got a few sneaking through and they’re getting that much harder to kill.  I can see a few hemps there on the end getting away.”

Both Meis and Connealy say disease pressure hasn’t been a concern yet.