Does weed size matter? An Indiana grower perspective about weed control timing

Corn and soybean growers across Indiana were surveyed to assess their perceptions about the importance of preplant and POST weed control timing, focusing mainly on soybean production. Despite studies demonstrating the importance of planting into a clean field, almost a third of Indiana growers do not think it is important to plant into a weed-free seedbed and 74% do not use residual herbicides in glyphosate-resistant soybean production systems. Growers who farmed less than 200 ha were more likely to overestimate the ability of soybean to tolerate weed interference than growers who farmed more hectares. Growers who manage smaller farms were also more likely to use a one-pass weed control program than larger growers. This suggests that yield losses to weed interference may be greater for smaller farms than for larger farms. Weed size and density were the most common criteria used by growers to decide when to apply herbicides. This suggests that field scouting plays an important role in the decision-making process of growers. However, a substantial proportion of growers apply POST herbicides to large common lambsquarters and giant ragweed in an attempt to minimize the number of trips across the field for weed control. Delayed control of these species likely contributes to reduced crop yields, higher application rates, and to the survival of treated plants. Opportunities to improve control and increase yields through more optimal herbicide use appear possible for Indiana corn and soybean growers.