What are your options for a burndown ahead of soybeans? If you’re planting dicamba tolerant soybeans, the answer is, more than likely, dicamba and if needed, roundup to control any early season grasses. That was my second favorite aspect of dicamba tolerant soybeans, we could now use dicamba as a burndown option! If your planting something other then dicamba tolerant soybeans then you start to narrow your options, particularly if your dealing with Roundup resistant weeds such as marestail. In the past I’ve become accustomed to use a combination of I pint 2,4-d LVE(low volitale ester) and glyphosate. The other formulation of 2,4-d is 2,4-d amine, which is more water soluble and much more dangerous to emerging soybeans then 2,4-d LVE. LVE formulations usually come as 4 lb products or 6 lb products. Labels will vary but I usually feel comfortable applying 1/2 lb of active ingredient on 1 week ahead of planting. Depending on brand of 2,4-d, ½ lb is usually around 1 pint. A concern of mine here in Central Illinois is ½ lb is not working on some marestail that I’ve seen. Rates equaling 1 lb (approximately 1 quart) of active ingredient should be used in that case. Just remember applying 1 quart will require waiting at least 2 weeks and depending on the specific product, upwards of 30 days before you can safely plant. If the marestail is small enough, I have ran 32 oz. of Liberty as my burndown as long as the weather is warm enough and sun is shining. Another option that seems to work well for me as an aid to my burndown is metribuzin. The rate of metribuzin ranges from 4 to 12 oz. for the 75DF formulation and for 4F formulations ¾ of a pint to 2 pints. I would stay away from metribuzin in soils with a pH over 7.5 and on coarse textured soils with an organic matter level below 2%. In a burndown situation, metribuzin in combination with 2,4-d can help on marestail, common chickweed, mustards, and purple deadnettle.

     As always, please read the herbicide label for proper application and mixing instructions. If you’re looking for adjuvants to help in the performance of your burndown herbicides, Soil Boost Plus and Soil Boost Extreme along with Landoil are excellent options! Please contact us for any of your chemical and adjuvant needs and as always, thank you for your continued business and support of Soil Service and our products!

Thanks,

Derek Porter

Sales Manager Central Illinois

(309)267-6905)

dporter@soilserviceinc.com