Update from the Field: Feel The Burn
Posted by Dave Dyson, Agronomist on May 03, 2019
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As I drive across the Midwest, I can’t help but notice the number of acres that have not been burned down yet. Since the 2018 crop came off so late, few herbicide applications were made in the fall, which would normally control winter annuals and the early spring flush of weeds. The wet, cool weather that keeps persisting into the 2019 spring season has kept most spring herbicide burndown applications from happening. The result is what we are seeing out in the fields right now - an overgrown mess of green growth covering our fields. This green mat of weeds will prevent the soil from warming up, wreak havoc with hair pinning weeds in the seed furrow during planting, and serve as a catch crop for insects looking to migrate from down south.
Once you plant a kernel of corn in the ground, it is a race against time to get the seed to germinate and out of the ground so the leaves can start converting light energy into usable energy for the plant. The longer the seed sits in the ground, the greater the chances the seed will be damaged by insects or disease. The soil temperature has to be above 50 degrees F before corn germination will begin. Emergence will occur once 119 growing degrees days (GDD) have been accumulated (figure 1). On average, the Cornbelt will gain 10 GDD per day. As a result, we normally see emergence around 12 days after planting. If a nice blanket of weeds is insulating the soil and reducing the GDD by half, it could take up to 24 days before the corn will emerge, doubling the chances of insects or diseases damaging corn seedlings (figure 2).
Figure 1: Growing degree days required in corn to reach varying growth stages throughout the growing season.
Figure 2: Effect of soil temperature on days from planting to emergence on corn. As soil temperature decreases, days to emergence increases rapidly.
The quickest solution to these potential issues is to burndown the weeds as soon as possible. With that being said, keep in mind the corpse of a dead weed can be just as detrimental to proper seed placement as live weeds. My suggestion is to apply 1 gal/ac of UltraMate® Zn with the burndown herbicide. This will provide two crucial applications at the same time. First, it will deliver zinc, which is essential for protein synthesis, seed and grain formation, plant maturity, growth regulation, and the formation of enzyme systems. Second, the humic acid in UltraMate Zn will help jumpstart microbial activity in the soil to degrade the weed residue rapidly.
Last week, the Midwest saw one of the largest armyworm and black cutworm moth flights so far this year. These moths migrate from the Deep South and lay their eggs in lush green weed-infested fields. Once the lepidopteran hatch, which takes about a week, they start feeding on surrounding plant life. When burndown herbicide is sprayed, the weeds are killed off, and the only food source will be the corn seedling. Adding an inexpensive insecticide to your burndown will give you insurance against these insect pests.
In conclusion, it is important to burndown weed-infested fields as soon as possible to allow ample time for the soil to warm up and for the weeds to disintegrate. By adding UltraMate Zn and an insecticide to the burndown, we will be adding zinc to our soil, protecting against unwanted insect pest, and speeding up the decomposition of dead weeds.
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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.
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