Crops:The Lynch File - Spray your weeds early to reduce yield loss

You can lose up to one bushel per acre a day once weeds get to two inches, according to one researcher. Acting early can prevent major losses in yield

by PAT LYNCH

Do you believe you should wait for all the weeds to emerge before you spray your Roundup Ready crop? You may think you are saving money by just spraying once.
Or you may believe that, if you wait long enough, all the weeds will be up and subsequent flushes will not affect yield. You hope the crop will canopy before these weeds can affect yield.

This is a good strategy if your plan is to keep spray costs to a minimum.

It’s not a good strategy if you want to make the most profit per acre.

Better Farming - May 2009