Michigan farmers might not be able to plant all of their intended wheat acres this year. What happens if we run out of time?
Mike Swoish, Pioneer field agronomist, says if fields are bare, he suggests doing a fall burn down.
“A lot of fields are very weedy right now,” he says. “If they were going to go to wheat, we probably would have terminated those weeds either via tillage or herbicide prior to planting wheat. If we decide not to get wheat into those fields but leave the weeds, that could present problems next year.”
With supply chain disruptions, farmers could see a lack of herbicide availability in 2022. If glyphosate and glufonsinate are in short supply, Swoish is encouraging growers to think about weed control now.
“That’s where E3 soybeans are really helpful—Enlist should be the easiest and safest thing to get and use next year, in my opinion, out of all those options and dicamba,” says Swoish. “If we’re switching to beans, I would recommend going with the E3 beans for helping with weed control.”
If left untreated this fall, Swoish thinks there will be a lot of weed seed bank pressure from resistant water hemp and palmer amaranth.
“Having your chemistry bought and in your shop or in your shed is a smart move right now, just to be sure you have it for next year,” he says. “We may get into some situations next year where we decide a little bit too late what we think we want or need, and it’s either going to be very expensive or very hard to come by.”
For more information about Enlist E3 Soybeans, talk with your local Pioneer agronomist.
