Making the Most of Herbicides

Research herbicides to get the best results
By Denise Brown For years, farmers and horticulturists have used weed killers to kill undesirable plants. Unfortunately, weeds have a strong will to survive so they become resistant to many types of industrial weed killer. Making the most of herbicides in today’s environment means taking the time to find the exact agricultural weed killer and using the minimum amount to accomplish the task.

Fortunately, scientists are working with herbicide suppliers to find herbicides that work. As scientists study the best ways to apply soil herbicide that accomplish the best weed kill, they are seeing a number of agricultural practices emerge. These include:

1. Rotating the crop and the herbicide on any given field on a regular basis, so the weeds don’t develop resistance to the herbicides.

2. Using the smallest amount of herbicides possible.

3. Minimizing the number of applications per year and, if possible, using cultivation instead of herbicide application to kill the weeds.

Understand the best practices to follow for herbicides

Most states require a license to apply herbicides in agricultural settings, but you still need to have an understanding of herbicidal application if you plan to use it on lawns or grounds that surround your business. Herbicides available to the general public are less likely to do damage to the environment. Because they are less potent, it is especially important that you apply them wisely to make sure you kill the weeds.
Try:  An article from Oregon State University offers guidelines for making the most of herbicides. The article stresses the importance of timing the application of horticultural herbicides. The information is also applicable for regular agriculture weed killers as well. The abstract on “Herbicide Exploitation” from Iowa State University gives a brief overview of what happens when farmers use weed killers in an indiscriminate manner.

Choose the right herbicides

If you have a license, you can purchase professional strength herbicides to kill the weeds on your grounds. If not, you can find a licensed professional to apply them. Either way, it's in your best interest to know what chemicals are in your fields.
Try:  You can find professional herbicides at Interstate Products. Determine what weeds you have, then select the right industrial weed killer. LaSalle Chemical also offers a number of herbicides.

Calibrate the rate of application for weed killers

Whether you use pre- or post-emergent herbicides, you want to be sure to use the right amount of agriculture weed killers. The same is true of aquatic weed killer.
Try:  The University of Minnesota Extension offers formulas to help you determine the right amount of agricultural weed killer. The University of Florida offers calculators and calibration methods for aquatic herbicide applications.

• As GPS becomes more readily available on herbicide application equipment, more farmers are using it to get a more accurate herbicide application.