Herbicide-resistant weeds have become more prevalent and the importance of using multiple modes of action to manage them has increased. It is vital that products are applied according to the label and with stewardship in mind, so that spray drift doesn’t damage neighboring crops.
Managing spray drift is critical to preventing herbicide injury on non-target plants. THIS ARTICLE on the USB website recommends some good points to pay attention to: (1) nozzle selection, (2) droplet size, (3) application speeds and (4) develop a good drift management plan using diverse practices.
Another issue is off-label use of herbicides for over-the-top applications on soybean. Over the past few weeks, there have been numerous news stories about potential dicamba injury to crops including soybean.
Dicamba injury could result from authorized uses of dicamba at burn down in late-planted soybean when susceptible crops are nearby, from authorized uses in corn and other approved crops, or from currently unauthorized over-the-top applications of dicamba on Xtend soybeans and Xtend cotton, which are tolerant of dicamba.
The new dicamba formulations from Monsanto and BASF with the forthcoming label requirements promise to reduce the chance of non-target crop damage. HOWEVER these labels and products are STILL PENDING FINAL APPROVAL by the EPA and will most likely not be available to soy growers prior to the 2017 planting season.
