Weather, weed challenges make the case for a flexible herbicide

ELMWOOD, Ill. — In west-central Illinois this year, growing conditions were perfect for more than corn and soybeans. Weather conditions also led to an ideal environment for weeds.

“We had a little bit of a dry spell in June, but outside of that, we had timely rains. Some of those rains have been in large amounts in a single event. That means some of those herbicides aren’t lasting as long and added some flushes of new weeds late in the season that we didn’t expect,” said Emily Huber, Pioneer agronomist for west-central Illinois.

Weather conditions further helped weeds like waterhemp and giant ragweed progress as temperatures prohibited application of some herbicides.

“We had really hot days, too, so as you look at some of the herbicide product offerings, there was a very, very restricted window on when you were able to spray those products on label this year,” Huber said.

For growers frustrated with the weather and date restrictions around other herbicide programs, Pioneer brand Enlist E3 soybeans partnered with the Enlist weed control system and Enlist Duo and Enlist One herbicides to achieve maximum total weed control, including control of persistent weeds like waterhemp, giant ragweed and marestail, and to be able to spray in a wider window.

“There are just fewer restrictions around the calendar cutoff dates and time-of-day restrictions, especially for those growers who are self-applicators. The Enlist system brings those growers so much more flexibility and freedom to spray when they want to spray,” Huber said.

Flexibility that other herbicide programs are not able to offer is just one of the benefits of the Enlist system that Huber talks about when she talks to growers about switching to the Enlist system.

“It’s effective, it’s flexible, it’s responsible,” she said.

Farm Responsibly

The responsibility part becomes apparent for growers who farm near or next to fields or areas with sensitive crops. In Huber’s territory, that could mean pumpkins, peas or pick-your-own fruit.

“With the way the Enlist herbicide has been working, there are fewer requirements around that label. That allows the grower to spray confidently next to those other crops while following the label directions,” Huber said.

While continuing to be aware of and observe the usual restrictions and precautions, growers can use Enlist and maintain good neighbor relationships.

“We do want to make sure we are following wind restrictions and paying attention to wind direction, but we are seeing really good results as far as on-target spray applications. That cuts down on some of the emotionally charged conversations we have had around some competitor products on the market today,” Huber said.

The flexibility means that growers have options.

“As we look at the tank-mix partners that we are able to mix with Enlist, Enlist E3 soybeans are tolerant to Enlist (2,4-D choline), glyphosate and glufosinate. So, we can look at tank-mixing a couple of those products to get really excellent control in those really tough weed situations,” Huber said.

When it comes to those flushes of weeds later, the flexibility of timing in application means growers can take care of those later flushes of weeds.

“We have a wider application window. Enlist can be sprayed through the R2 growth stage, full bloom on soybeans. If you need to make a later application, through R2, we have that flexibility on timing to be able to do that,” Huber said.

For growers who are self-applicators, the larger window of opportunity in application offers options not found with competitor products.

“Following some of the restrictions in some competitor systems has become exceptionally challenging for growers in the past couple of years. With the Enlist system, it brings those growers so much more flexibility to have the freedom to spray when they want to spray,” Huber said.

This column was contributed by Illinois AgriNews for Pioneer.