Update from the Field: Growing Pains
Posted by David Dyson, Agronomist on June 25, 2018
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As the days start getting shorter and the weeds start getting taller in the soybean fields, our collective attention starts to focus on post applying herbicides. In past years, when 99% of the U.S. soybean acres were glyphosate tolerant, there were no worries, as we could load up with Roundup® and spray all day. Today, we not only have to be mindful of what soybean genetics are planted in the field we are about to spray, but also in neighboring fields as well.
Today, there could be five different genetically-modified soybeans to navigate through, let alone conventional or organic fields of soybeans. Being aware of your surroundings these days is not only smart, but necessary. You will not stay in business long by ignoring what the neighboring farms are planting.
The five major herbicide-resistant soybeans on the market right now are lufosinate-tolerant, glyphosate-tolerant, dicamba-tolerant, 2-4D-tolerant, and HPPD-tolerant soybeans. Liberty® and Roundup are straightforward, and the Enlist™ and Balance® beans are not very widely planted, which leaves dicamba-tolerant soybeans. Dicamba has an elevated risk for off-target herbicide movement, both from drift and volatilization. It can cause leaf puckering and twisting of stems, most commonly observed on the newest growth in soybeans.
Sometimes, there is no off-target movement out of a dicamba-sprayed field, but symptoms may still occur. We need to be aware of other causes for the same symptomology. Railroad and side ditch right-of-ways routinely receive dicamba applications, and these applications can move and affect a non-dicamba-tolerate field. As you can see in Figure 1 and Figure 2, leaf cupping symptoms can occur, even at ultra-low rates. Symptoms may not occur until two weeks later, creating difficulty troubleshooting the origin of the dicamba. Group 15 herbicides applied post can “wrap-up” soybean leaves and mimic dicamba symptoms. Insects such as soybean aphids can pucker and twist leaves, leaving some growers believing they had been chemically trespassed.
Figure 1: This picture shows a soybean treated with 1/64 rate of dicamba. This picture was taken by Dr. Kruger from the University of Nebraska.
Figure 2: This picture shows a soybean treated with 1/8192 rate of dicamba. This picture was taken by Dr. Kruger from the University of Nebraska.
In conclusion, the soybean industry is currently experiencing some growing pains, as producers try out new genetically-modified soybeans traits. Until the industry settles on a standard trait or we start to see multi-resistant varieties, the applicator will have to be aware of his/her surroundings. If you see any strange soybeans starting to develop in a field you are working with, please feel free to contact me or any other representative from The Andersons to help diagnose your problems.
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Dave Dyson is a regional agronomist for The Andersons’ Farm Centers which are located throughout Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. He is an Indiana native and grew up on a dairy farm in Miami County. A graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Crop & Soil Science, Dave has a deep knowledge of various agronomic topics and is committed to helping growers improve their crops. If you have any questions, Dave can be reached at david_dyson@andersonsinc.com.
Balance and Liberty are registered trademarks of Bayer. Roundup is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC. Enlist is a trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC.
