BASF Cotton Solutions for Texas-Weed Management
Roughly 67% of growers experience herbicide resistance, and over half of those growers have experienced it within the last decade, according to a recent study.1 As planting approaches, Adam Hixson, BASF Senior Technical Service Representative, knows that growers in Texas are no exception. Hixson advises his growers to get a head start on establishing a weed control plan that includes layering their residual herbicides. Not only does this strategy help reduce the likelihood of herbicide-resistant weeds developing, but it can also eliminate weeds that develop right off the bat, saving growers from eventually needing rescue applications. When weeds and cotton plants compete for water and nutrients early on, it creates problems for the plant that go beyond early season vigor, Hixson says. Lack of growth makes weed control more difficult later in the season. When the plant takes longer to get to canopy, there are more opportunities for weeds to germinate and threaten yield.
ACTIVELY FIGHT RESISTANCE
An agronomically sound weed management strategy includes multiple modes of action, which help growers increase the flexibility, diversity, and sustainability of their resistance management program. Not only do more modes of action help preserve essential knockdown chemistries and ward off resistance, but growers also get a sense of relief knowing they’re preserving the chemistries already on the market.
SAVE TIME AND ENERGY
Jonathan James of Blanco Cotton Gin in Floydada, Texas, says that ever since he first incorporated Zidua® SC herbicide into his weed management plan four years ago, he’s noticed a significant reduction in the emergence and development of resistant weeds. “ Zidua SC,” he says, “has helped eliminate a lot of added work and stress for us.” Compared to a single application, applying a foundational pre-emergence residual at planting and an overlapping in-crop residual, like Outlook® or Zidua SC herbicide, followed by a post-emergence knockdown, like Liberty® herbicide, extends control later into the season. “Incorporating residuals has really changed the game with weed management for us,” James says. “We’ve used Zidua herbicide on our fields for the last four years, and we really have found that for controlling pigweed, it’s the best product. We’re spending less on knockdown because it’s keeping the weeds from even emerging.”
A PARTNER IN THE FIGHT
Texas cotton growers plant crops and battle weeds in some of the toughest growing conditions, which is why an aggressive preventive approach makes all the difference. BASF knows growers need support in this effort and wants to provide growers the flexibility and resources they need for success. James says his experience with his BASF representatives has been seamless, reminding him he’s not in it alone. “They’re reachable — they’re always around,” he says. “It’s one of our big things: We need a partner in this business. BASF has been that for us.”
For more information, contact your local BASF representative, or visit CottonWeedControl.com.
1 2021, Weed Resistance Study Quantitative Report, Kynetec for BASF Agricultural Solutions
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