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Considerations in Pre-Harvest Weed Control
Lack of soil applied herbicides, herbicides applied later than recommended, flushes of weeds emerging after application, poor weed control from weather, and environmental conditions promoting excellent weed growth conditions contribute to weedy small grain fields. An excellent opportunity for weed burn down, perennial weed control and harvest aid is through pre-harvest herbicide application. It is important to keep pre-harvest weed control in small grains perspective. The following are some factors to consider before applying a herbicide as a harvest aid:
1. The expectations for pre-harvest weed control usually exceed reality - it is not possible to kill\dry down a 3-foot weed in the same manner as a 3-inch weed. Lower portions of the weed may not be affected.
2. It requires time to dry down treated weeds - usually 7-10 days. It may require more time if wet and/or cool weather conditions occur after treatment. All herbicides labeled for pre-harvest application are systemic and slow acting which requires a longer dry down period as compared to contact, fast acting herbicides.
3. The intent of a pre-harvest treatment should be to facilitate harvest and reduce harvest loss. Pre-harvest treatments do not decrease yield losses due to weed competition or prevent weed seed production.
4. Herbicide drift from pre-harvest treatments can cause major problems this time of year. Consider sensitive crops (sugarbeets, potatoes, etc.) and other plants (trees, gardens, etc.) in the general vicinity of the field receiving treatment.
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