It ’ s quick , simple and relatively painless increase exponentially for the foreseeable future .
Mid-County Messenger Page 2 www . midcountycoop . com Spring 2008
I ’ m not one to spread panic , but there are few things that unnerve me as an agronomist . One of them is Giant Ragweed . Giant is an apt name for this weed since it is not uncommon to grow to tremendous heights in a single season , almost the size of a small tree , if you ever have the unwelcome opportunity to run one through your combine .
There are a few other characteristics besides its size that makes Giant Ragweed a particularly troublesome weed . The seed size allows the plant to germinate at far below any PPI chemical put down , such as Harness or Outlook , or Pre-emerge chemical such as Lumax or Valor . This allows the roots of the seedling to stay far below the chemical layer and with the energy reserves of the seed to carry the seedling until it is well established . Soil-applied herbicides therefore have limited control of Giant Ragweed .
Giant Ragweed is one of the first weeds to germinate in the spring and can have multiple flushes . Its quick growth and
Mid-County Agronomy Glyphosate , Giant Ragweed , and why you should care
Joe Forner Agronomist ( 952 ) 466-3730
joef @ midcountycoop . com
relative tolerance to a wide range of herbicides makes it difficult to control with most contact herbicides , like glyphosate . Additionally , Giant Ragweed has been found to be resistant to glyphosate in five states , including Minnesota .
The rapid spread across a wide geography would indicate that there is a common mechanism of resistance that is endemic to the Giant Ragweed population . I would expect that the occurrences should
Crop Input Financing
It ’ s quick , simple and relatively painless increase exponentially for the foreseeable future .
Although I indicated earlier that PRE and PPI are not very good at controlling Giant Ragweed by themselves , they are your first line of defense . The soil applied herbicide not only thins the population , but also slows the early growth of the seedlings , so there is a bigger window for post herbicide application . On the post application , use multiple modes of action , with either a growth regulator like Status or a bleacher like Callisto on your corn acres . With soybeans , the options are limited to an ALS herbicide like Firstrate . With the price of glyphosate going up this year , a treatment of 1 # a . i . of glyphosate plus a . 3 oz . of Firstrate is about $ 1.50 more than a 2 # a . i . application of straight
glyphosate . For slightly more money the two modes will help control resistant weeds from taking over your field , so that glyphosate will be an effective herbicide for years to come .
The relatively easy application for seasonal input financing through Partners In Production has seen the volume of financing rise from $ 100,000 in 2007 to $ 432,000 in 2008 . The average interest rate is . 8 % over the prime rate . In addition to a good interest rate , these customers are sure that they will be able to take advantage of the prepaid prices and discounts .
For more information about the Partners In Production program , contact Doug Kraska at ( 952 ) 466-3750 , or Dick Pauly at ( 952 ) 466-3701 .
Dick Pauly Controller ( 952 ) 466-3701
dickp @ midcountycoop . com
STINE