Better Farming Ontario | September 2024

50 Ate Today? Thank a Farmer. Better Farming | September 2024 In fields that you’re not planting into winter wheat, you can control perennial weeds like dandelion, wild carrot, perennial sow thistle, milkweed and vetch. Spraying glyphosate after soybeans or corn harvest gives you better control than spraying in the spring. You may still have to spray these perennial weeds in the spring but the second application in the spring should get rid of weeds like dandelion and wild carrot. We have had two seasons of adequate rainfall, so these perennials are spreading and becoming well-established. Another weed that’s very easy to control in the fall is chickweed. Common chickweed is an annual or winter annual. I believe that most of this species is behaving like a winter annual in Ontario. If it’s growing in September, it will still be growing next spring. By next spring, it will have a good root mass. Spring tillage just moves these plants around, and they start to grow again. Common chickweed is especially a problem in fields being seeded to forages next spring. To overcome this problem, spray fields intended for forage in 2025 this fall. Spraying fields after soybean harvest to control perennial weeds is obvious, but what is not as obvious is spraying to control perennial weeds after corn harvest. There is a short window after corn harvest when perennial weeds are still growing. (The corn canopy forms a microclimate that protects weeds.) Wait for the dust to leave the weeds and then spray. There are two other opportunities for fall herbicide spraying. One involves cover crops. While some believe you should leave cover crops and plant green next spring, I still believe it’s best to kill off the cover crop this fall. If you are experienced in planting green, then keep doing it, but for most acres, I believe the cover crop should be terminated this fall. When you terminate the cover crop, you also get rid of weeds that are lurking in with the cover crop. The other crop that needs attention is perennial forages. You could wait and spray them off next spring, but it’s much better to terminate perennial forages this fall. This fall they will be transporting nutrients to the roots. If sprayed, they will also be transporting the herbicide to the roots. There is no difference in nitrogen credit whether sprayed this fall or next spring. Final word. Killing weeds in the fall gives you more time in the spring, and typically you get better control in the fall versus the spring. BF FROM THE GROUND UP. Salford’s BBI Sniper cuts compaction by spreading up to 120 feet. Simple 12 section control places fertilizer where you need it and reduces input costs. – Salford. Precision from the ground up. FIELD YOUR BEST Salford, Ontario Elie, Manitoba Scan to see more Salford Equipment DELTA POWER EQUIPMENT Alvinston, 519-898-2961 Chatham, 519-351-4300 Dunvegan, 613-527-1501 Renfrew, 613-432-4133 Winchester CIH, 613-774-2273 deltapower.ca EQUIPMENT ONTARIO Lindsay, 705-324-6136 Port Perry, 905-982-1500 equipmentontario.com J & H SALES & SERVICE Chesley, 519-363-3510 jhsales.com PREMIER EQUIPMENT LTD. Alliston, 705-435-7551 Ayr, 519-632-8998 Elmira, 519-669-5453 Listowel, 519-291-5390 Norwich, 519 688-1011 Ospringe, 519-833-9332 Smithville, 905-957-2133 Tavistock, 519-655-2200 PATRICK LYNCH Patrick writes a weekly crop production newsletter and is a popular speaker at farm meetings. Opinionated, controversial; formerly with OMAFRA and Cargill. CCA-ON. crops: the lynch fileS

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