Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


GT soybeans - be sure to spray a residual herbicide at or before planting

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Last year, Ontario growers lost an estimated two bushels an acre because they did not spray early enough. That cost Ontario some $60 million in lost revenue

by PAT LYNCH

In September 2013, I spoke to soybean growers in South Africa who had between 200 and 25,000 acres each. They are just getting into soybean production there and I asked them if they could see weeds in their GT soybeans when the soybeans were at first trifoliate. About 10 per cent of the hands went up. I then asked if they saw weeds in their neighbours' soybeans when they were at the first trifoliate. About 75 per cent of the growers raised their hands.

I told them that I get the same response from Ontario growers. The reality is that if you see weeds either dead or alive in a soybean field, you have lost yield. Research suggests that you lose one bushel an acre for every inch of weeds. Other research shows that weeds can grow one to two inches in between two and four days. You lose a lot of soybeans if you do no control weeds early.

Last spring, when I drove around Ontario, I felt a sense of failure. In 2011, I set out to have all GT soybeans sprayed with a residual herbicide. I figured that spraying residual herbicides in GT soybeans would follow the route that it had in GT corn. Practically all GT corn receives a residual herbicide.

The latest surveys for 2014 suggest that about 25 per cent of Ontario's soybean acres have a residual herbicide at planting. A further 10 per cent have a residual herbicide post-emergent. These numbers are too low. Last year, I figure growers lost at least two bushels an acre across Ontario. At a price of $11 per bushel; this represents $22 an acre in lost revenue. With Ontario's three million acres, that represents over $60 million in lost revenue.

So what is the solution? You must spray a residual herbicide at or before planting. My friend and peer Paul Sullivan CCA (ON) in eastern Ontario believes growers should be spraying before planting GT soybeans. Last spring, when it was too wet to do any field work, he encouraged his customers to spray their soybean fields. He feels that this was a great strategy. Those fields that were sprayed were a lot cleaner than fields that were sprayed just at planting – and a lot cleaner than fields that were sprayed after planting.

There are a lot of herbicides to choose from. The basic ones are Dual II Magnum or Frontier, which are sold in packages such as Boundary and Integrity. Other good products for the common weed spectrums are Broadstrike, Classic and Valtera. Each one of these products is strong on specific weeds. I like residual products that can control ragweed, lamb's quarters, nightshade and fleabane.I believe these are the weeds that will become resistant to glyphosate. Individual farms have individual problems.

And for those of you who believe that you will not get GT fleabane, good luck. It has been identified across much of Ontario and will be coming to a farm near you. You must put together a strategy now to control it. Plan a program as if you already have it. BF

Consulting agronomist Pat Lynch, CCA (ON), formerly worked with the Ontario agriculture ministry and with Cargill.

Current Issue

March 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Farmer Planting Decisions for 2025 Taking Shape

Thursday, March 13, 2025

As farmers across Canada prepare for the 2025 crop year, Statistics Canada says their planting decisions reflect a complex mix of factors including moisture conditions, crop rotation considerations, and market prices. Nationally, farmers are expected to plant more wheat, corn for... Read this article online

Grain Growers of Sounding the Alarm Over U.S. Tariffs

Monday, March 10, 2025

Not surprisingly, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is raising concerns over the United States' decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian grain and grain products, a move that could jeopardize the livelihoods of family-run grain farms and lead to higher food prices for American... Read this article online

International Women’s Day – Angela Cammaert

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, Farms.com is asking women in ag about what they’d tell their younger selves about being a farmer, to give a piece of advice to young women entering the ag sector, and to highlight a woman in agriculture they consider a mentor or... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top