Maximizing plant and soil health with a clean start
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Farmers know the best way to gain control over weeds is to start the season with as little weed pressure as possible. Tilling is one way to control weeds—chopping them into small pieces and burying seeds so they don’t re-grow. But too much tillage can be hard on the land, so many farmers prefer to use no-till and reduced-till methods, which can help keep soil healthier. In no-till and reduced-till systems, farmers still need options to control weeds. Applying herbicide after fall harvest, or early in the spring, is one effective method farmers can use. By controlling weeds from the outset, seedlings face less competition for water, sunlight and nutrients, so crops can get off to a healthier start.
This kind of herbicide application, intended to create a weed-free field for planting, is known as a “burndown.” Although it’s a bold-sounding term, it’s important to know that “burndown” does not mean killing everything in a field. Farmers want to manage weeds, while protecting soil, which benefits crops. Burndown describes the almost complete drying up of weeds in a field. The shriveled-up weeds look “burned.” Burndown applications often use a combination of more than one herbicide active ingredient, targeted to control weeds with minimal impact on beneficial organisms and the environment.
Combatting resistant weed species
Around the world, multiple species of broadleaf weeds have developed resistance to commonly used herbicides, such as glyphosate. Weeds like marestail, lambsquarters and henbit can steal vital nutrients from crops and harbor harmful insect pests. Some weed species can survive for multiple seasons in the soil, making them even harder to control. Having different herbicide modes of action to use against these weeds before planting is vital so farmers can continue to use more sustainable practices such as no-till and reduced-till to raise healthy, high-yielding crops.
In row crops—including corn, soybeans and cotton—U.S. farmers are incorporating Elevore® herbicide with Arylex™ active as part of a burndown program. Arylex works at a very low use rate—just 1 ounce per acre. It acts on a specific receptor in weeds, so it’s effective even against species such as marestail that show resistance to other herbicides. Elevore can be tank-mixed with other commonly used burndown herbicides, so that farmers can use multiple, different modes of action against weeds in a single application. Using different modes of action helps to prevent weed resistance development.
Example program approach*
Using Elevore® herbicide in burndown for soybeans
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Elevore herbicide with Arylex active is a useful addition to burndown programs for row crops such as soybeans. As permitted on the label, Elevore should be tank-mixed with other herbicides to incorporate different modes of action. Herbicides with other modes of action should be used for subsequent applications, including residual and post-emergence applications, as needed.
Preventing regrowth of weeds
Arylex is also well-suited for burndown applications because it provides very thorough weed control. With other herbicides, weeds may appear to shrivel quickly after application, but over time, they grow back. Farmers might think they’ve gained control, only to have to go back into their fields and apply more herbicide. Arylex works differently to provide a lasting effect. It moves into the plant’s cells, binding to a specific receptor in those cells and halting growth of the weed. Compared to other burndown herbicides, the effects take a little longer to appear—about two to three days—but once the weed is dead, it doesn’t grow back. This helps farmers use fewer resources to gain control of weeds.
Comparison of weed re-growth with Elevore®
This time lapse video shows how Elevore provides thorough weed control and prevents weed re-growth.
Farmers want to control weeds while minimizing impact on the land. No-till and reduced-till farming help keep soil more biologically active, reduce erosion and can also save farmers fuel, resources and time.1 With advanced options such as Elevore® herbicide with Arylex™ active, farmers can use a low rate of herbicide active ingredient to control problematic weeds and incorporate different modes of action to reduce resistance. Used before planting, Elevore helps farmers maximize the opportunity for seeds to grow and flourish while minimizing impact on the environment.
Learn more about Arylex active
*Always read and follow all label and use directions.
1 Elizabeth Creech, “Saving Money, Time and Soil: The Economics of No-till Farming,” USDA (Natural Resources Conservation Service, August 3, 2021), https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/11/30/saving-money-time-and-soil-economics-no-till-farming.
Elevore is not registered for sale or use in all states or countries. Contact your pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.