Herbicides

Oregon Farmers Navigate The Ups And Downs Of A Changing Ag Landscape

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:05:35 GMT

Helle and Bruce Ruddenklau make almost every agronomic move on their Willamette Valley, Oregon, farm with their balance sheet in mind. Crop rotations, contracts and niche markets are the core tools they use to maneuver through and survive today’s costly inputs and soft crop prices.

The couple farm about 1,100 acres near Amity, Ore. They own a third of the ground and rent the rest.

About half the acres are in commercial grass seed — perennial ryegrass and fescue for lawns, golf courses, sports fields and parks. The rest of their acreage cycles through wheat, an oilseed called Meadowfoam (highly sought after in cosmetics, skincare products, and specialty industrial applications), green beans, occasional sweet corn and peas, radish seed for export to Japan, clover seed and hazelnuts.

The crop diversity is critical. It helps even out the economic ups and downs of farming, and it also helps address a problem the couple didn’t even know they had initially in the 1990s: herbicide-resistant grass weeds, a challenge exacerbated by the fact they produce commercial grass seed.

“We had to come up with a different way of fighting some of these grassy weeds without chemistry, and that was through rotation. And no-till was the other big, big thing,” Helle recalls.

In the late 1990s, the couple invested in a no-till drill and redesigned their rotation.

“The (commercial) grass seeds stay in for two to four years, and when they come out, we have at least two years of other crops in those fields so we can get new chemical applications on, try to rotate and get on top of any grassy weeds that may have built up,” Helle tells Andrew McCrea during a recent episode of Farming The Countryside , available on Farm Journal TV.

Focused On Crop Diversity To Create Income

Crop rotation is a framework for stacking income streams. Every crop has to pull its weight against rising fertilizer and fuel costs.

“As with all farmers, our input costs are higher than what they have been. That’s been a huge challenge. Everybody here’s trying to find something that’s more profitable to grow,” she says, adding that she believes Midwest farmers have an even harder time generating ROI.

Grass seed has delivered strong margins at times, but COVID-era demand whipsawed the market. A surge in lawn and turf projects sent prices sharply higher in 2020. Seed companies then pushed acres. A couple of variable years later, and the industry became awash in seed.

“We’re still working through that oversupply from three years ago or so,” Helle says. “Our price has dropped in half, basically, from what it was.”

With prices cut and input costs elevated, some growers are rolling the dice and producing grass seed on speculation.

“You have the option to grow grass seed without a contract, and then you have it on the open market,” she says. “If there’s a market for it, you can sell it. If not, you just sit with [it] in the barn and wait.”

The Ruddenklaus work hard to avoid being in that position, growing most everything under contract.

“We have one field that we have an open market Kentucky 31 variety on. But other than that, everything we grow is under contract on both the grass seed, specialty crops, hazelnuts, vegetables, everything.”

Relationships Play An Important Role In Farming

That contract-first mindset shapes what they plant and who they do business with.

“A lot of it is relationships with different dealers… that we know they will treat us fairly, and they know that we will produce a quality product for them,” she says.

Those relationships open doors to new niche markets that fit within their existing rotation.

“A few years ago, a local economic development company came to us and said a local soy sauce manufacturer was looking to have some local production of hard red spring wheat,” she recalls. “Oregon traditionally grows soft white wheat, so it’s not something we had worked with in the past, but we decided to try it, and that’s become a very valuable little niche market for us that has worked out well.”

Through that same connection, the farm links with AgLaunch, a Tennessee-based network that brings farmers and ag tech startups together.

“The companies come in [and] want to get the support of the farmers, the advice, the on-farm trials,” she says. “In exchange, they have to give up some equity to the farmers’ network. So through that, we also are getting exposure to some new companies and potentially new opportunities. We are definitely always looking at things.”

Some experiments — like trying grain corn and soybeans — have not become permanent fixtures on the farm. But even those tests help the Ruddenklaus calibrate where their competitive edge really lies: in specialty crops backed by contracts and rotations that help them manage weeds and other risks at the same time.

“I think agriculture has an amazing, amazing story. Farmers are innovators, and that’s just part of what we have done through generations,” Helle says.

“I’m not pessimistic about where we’re at,” she adds. “I believe agriculture has a bright, bright future. We belong in society. We have an important role to play. It won’t look the same as it has in the past, but we’ll figure it out.”

Helle was the recipient of the Top Producer 2026 Woman in Agriculture award . The award was sponsored by ProFarmer.

Know someone you would like to nominate for the Top Producer Woman In Agriculture? Nominations are open! Recommend your candidate here .

Metabolic Weed Resistance Crisis Builds Across The Heartland

Wed, 06 May 2026 16:50:37 GMT

Waterhemp, Palmer amaranth and some other tough broadleaf weeds and grasses are no longer slipping past just single herbicides. Across the Corn Belt and beyond, they are tolerating entire herbicide programs. Weed scientists say that pattern points to a critical issue more farmers are facing: metabolic resistance.

Unlike traditional target-site resistance, which is often specific to a single herbicide class, metabolic resistance is even worse because it can confer cross-resistance to multiple, unrelated herbicide groups .

Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Extension weed scientist often warns that when a tough weed like waterhemp learns to metabolize one herbicide, it becomes easier for it to “learn” to detoxify others. That ability has helped lead to the 7-way resistance with waterhemp seen in some Illinois counties, according to weed scientist Patrick Tranel, one of Hager’s colleagues.

At least 13 states have reported having some degree of “highly suspected” or confirmed cases of metabolic weed resistance. Here are three of the broadleaf weeds demonstrating metabolic resistance and states where they’re located:

Along with these broadleaf weeds, some common and giant ragweed, marestail/horseweed, annual (Italian) ryegrass and barnyardgrass populations have also demonstrated metabolic resistance.

(Weed Science Society of America, GROW, BASF, Syngenta)

Target-site resistance can be identified through DNA tests. But metabolic resistance is a “guessing game” involving potentially dozens to hundreds of genes working in tandem, making it difficult for scientists and farmers to know which products will still work in their specific fields.

Tommy Butts sees the trend for metabolic resistance taking root in Indiana. He says HPPD resistance in waterhemp is “getting widespread,” and the failures are expanding to other chemistries as well.

“We had more complaints last year about things like mesotrione or Callisto starting to fail, which is really scary in the corn acres,” says Butts, Purdue University Extension weed scientist. “Corn is supposed to be our easy year to control waterhemp, and now, all of a sudden, we start losing Callisto.” He addresses this in detail in the latest Purdue Crop Chat .

The bad news does not stop there.

“You start talking auxins and glufosinate, and we have confirmed resistance in the state to those,” he says. “I wouldn’t say that’s as widespread, but it’s definitely popping up.”

With metabolic resistance chipping away at PPOs, HPPDs, atrazine partners, auxins and glufosinate, the old playbook of “just switch products” no longer works well.

Glufosinate alone 😀⁰Mesotrione alone 😕⁰Glufosinate + mesotrione 🔥😎

That’s the power of effective herbicide tank mixtures.

Deploying synergistic tank mixes with multiple effective sites of action is critical for improving weed control and helping delay herbicide resistance… pic.twitter.com/FggZJrQQ1Q
— Rodrigo Werle (@WiscWeeds) May 6, 2026

“Hammer With Residuals” And Build Effective Combinations

Butts’ first message to corn and soybean farmers is straightforward: no more solo herbicide passes in the field.

“We have to hammer weeds with effective residuals and then mix up our posts as much as possible,” he says.

In his view, that means at least two things for row-crop growers. First, use layered residual programs that keep fields clean as long as possible and reduce the number of emerged weeds that ever see a post pass. Second, use post-emerge applications that combine multiple, truly effective modes of action at full labeled rates.

Cutting rates, he warns, is exactly how growers “train” metabolism-based resistance to take root.

With soybean trait systems, he pushes hard against relying on a single flagship product.

“If we’re growing Enlist soybeans, don’t just rely on Enlist and don’t just rely on Liberty,” Butts advises. “Do the tank mix. The tank mix trumps everything.”

This field shows the result of waterhemp seeds that were spread during harvest by a combine.

(Aaron Hager, University of Illinois)

Pay More Up Front To Avoid Making Expensive “Revenge Sprays”

Metabolic resistance can thrive when weeds are hit with chemistry they can partially tolerate. That is why Butts keeps coming back to strong, early, soil-applied programs.

He hears pushback from farmers every year on using multiple products in the tank.

“A lot of people tell me, ‘Well, it costs way too much up front with $20 for a pre. Corn gets even more expensive,’” he acknowledges.
However, Butts points to work by Purdue University Extension and other states showing those dollars pay off when the entire season is measured.

“If you can get a strong residual program out and get it activated, the whole-season economics of it makes sense,” Butts says. “It’s consistently shown that if you have that strong pre up front, you don’t have what I like to call the revenge sprays in August, where we’re going across the field three different times trying to kill waist-high waterhemp.”

Check out this tool from GROW on how to address waterhemp specifically.

Protect Herbicide Tools To Extend Their Use

As more herbicide modes of action come under pressure, Butts singles out metribuzin as an example of a product that still pulls its weight in soybeans.

“Metribuzin is a big one in soybeans, because we don’t have a lot of resistance to that,” he says.

“I will also put in the plug for AMS in general, across the board,” Butts says. “That always helps with some of those products… when we start getting later in the season, we get more stressed weeds. AMS even tends to help there.”

Butts does caution farmers that AMS is not allowed in dicamba tank mixes for XtendFlex soybeans.

Underlying all of it is a blunt warning about what happens if growers decide to skimp on their weed control efforts.

“If you let it go even one year, now you’ve made yourself a mess for the next five to 10 years,” he says. “You’ve got to try and stay on top of weeds as much as possible.”

5 Practical Recommendations To Address Metabolic Resistance

Because metabolic resistance is so unpredictable, weed scientists have shifted their advice away from “rotating chemicals” toward a “zero-threshold” approach to control. The following metabolic resistance management recommendations have been presented by Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Weed Scientist, and Beck’s agronomists:

1. The primary focus of metabolic resistance management should be on decreasing the weed seed bank. This means that weeds must be eliminated before they ever go to seed.

2. A robust residual herbicide program should be used, not because residuals represent a different herbicide family but because they eliminate weeds at the earliest growth stages – slashing contributions to the weed seed bank.

3. Physically cutting weeds out of the crop must be included in the management plan, because physical elimination of weed escapes further slashes contributions to the weed seed bank.

4. Post-herbicide programs should shift from calendar-based timing to scouting-based timing. Once weeds break through a pre-emerge residual program, they must be eliminated. Such early targeting further slashes contributions to the weed seed bank.

5. Mechanical techniques, field cultivators, etc., should be used where possible to further the cause of decreased seed production.

'Losing Glyphosate Would Be A Disastrous Blow For Farmers'

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 17:29:17 GMT

Farmers warn that access to cornerstone herbicides like glyphosate is not just a policy debate but a make-or-break factor for conservation, food prices and the future of U.S. agriculture.

On a media call hosted by the Modern Ag Alliance on Friday, three veteran Midwest farmers say they are farming through some of the tightest margins of their careers while shouldering growing uncertainty over crop-protection tools. They argue that science-based regulation, consistent labeling and a predictable legal environment are essential if they are to keep adopting conservation practices and stay competitive globally.

“We depend on crop-protection tools every single day that we’re raising a crop,” says northwest Missouri farmer Blake Hurst, who grows corn and soybeans. “Losing access to crop protection chemicals like glyphosate would be a terrible blow, a disastrous blow for farmers, as we’re facing these tough times.”

The discussion on Friday morning came about as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in the Monsanto v. Durnell case scheduled for Monday, April 27. At the same time, Congress continues work on the farm bill, which contains provisions that could shape how crop-protection products are regulated.

Modern Ag Alliance Executive Director Elizabeth Burns-Thompson says the organization sees the Supreme Court case and farm bill development as landmarks.

“At the end of the day, I think the crux of the question is, if we cannot get the clarity or consistency around labeling, what does that mean big picture?” Burns-Thompson says.

She argues that without clear, uniform federal rules on what constitutes a sufficient label, companies may pull back on manufacturing or innovation, particularly inside the United States.

The Economic Reality Of Crop Protection

Hurst says farmers already operate on “margins that are negative,” forcing them to stretch machinery life, cut back on inputs and take on more debt just to stay in business. If a widely used and relatively affordable herbicide like glyphosate becomes unavailable or more difficult to access, he says the resulting cost increases will ripple from the farm field to the supermarket.

“That eventually shows up on food prices and grocery store shelves,” Hurst says. “We don’t have the margins to absorb major increases in costs, so we will pass those costs along eventually.”

Mark Jackson, who farms with his son southeast of Des Moines, says glyphosate is tightly linked to the conservation systems he has spent decades building. Jackson, a fifth-generation Iowa grower describes a lifetime of watching soil erosion give way to the use of more sustainable practices.

He says his farm has been in no-till for at least 25 years, a shift he also sees is taking root across much of Iowa.

“Roughly 40% or better of Iowa is in no-till conservation status, which is a tremendous mindset and a cultural mindset,” Jackson says. “When you talk about glyphosate leading the charge in conservation, I think we also need to remind people that we don’t use chemicals just willy-nilly.”

Relying On Science-Based Regulation

Jackson points to multiple federal agencies involved in approving and reviewing pesticides as evidence that farmers are using tools vetted by science and regulation.

“They have been approved by the EPA, the FDA, the USDA — you might say all the A’s in the government have gone through the pipelines to allow these chemicals to be used, and then they are reviewed at regular intervals,” he says. “So, I think we need to have confidence in what our government is there for, which is to maintain quality. We still do have the best and most consistent food supply in the world.”

Jackson also cites long-running health research involving farmers as pesticide applicators. Referring to a large North American study that monitored tens of thousands of farmers, including on his own farm, he says the findings in the study do not match public fears about glyphosate.

“Let’s not let emotion drive the conversation, but let’s follow the science,” he says.

Current Agronomic Tools Are Invaluable

For Bill Couser, a central Iowa corn and cattle producer who is “very heavily involved” in the ethanol industry, access to reliable herbicides is part of a larger system that includes livestock feed and low-carbon fuel markets. He says any disruption in tool availability quickly translates into higher input costs and lost opportunity.

“When I grow the feed, I have to make sure I have the lowest cost feedstuffs I can going into my farming operation, and also the safest feedstuffs that we can,” Couser says.

He ties herbicide use to carbon intensity scores that increasingly shape ethanol markets. No-till practices and efficient weed control, he says, help farmers lower carbon intensity levels, which in turn benefits both farmers and ethanol plants.

“When you look at just the state of Iowa and the 43 [ethanol] plants here, why, the way we bring this to our plants and to our livestock operations is huge,” Couser says.

Couser, who serves on an EPA Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities advisory committee, says having farmers at the table with regulators is essential.

“It gives the farmer a seat at the table, and we’re not on the menu,” he says. “We have to make sure that we sit with these industry leaders and make sure that we help them understand and educate them about the science and the products that we need to be able to use to be able to stay profitable in this industry.”

Stifling Innovation And The Path Forward

The farmers on the call said they accept that some older products have been removed from the market for safety reasons. Much of their concern now is that litigation and regulatory uncertainty could chill innovation and push companies to avoid introducing new technologies in the U.S. altogether.

“If we get a negative ruling [on Monday], that is going to make it easier to sue over not only glyphosate, but the other products we use, that means we won’t have new products introduced, because what company will take that risk?” Hurst says, referencing billions of dollars in legal costs tied to glyphosate litigation.

What worries him, he adds, is not just losing glyphosate, but the outlook for future products and continued innovation.

“The question that has to be asked and never is, is what next?” Hurst says. “We’re not going to go back to farming like we did in 1990. We don’t have the labor, we don’t have the diesel, we don’t have the people, and people won’t want to pay what food costs will be if we don’t have these products. So, what next? We’re going to use other chemicals that are more expensive, increasing feed costs, that are more dangerous.”

The farmers describe a common expectation of federal oversight and a shared belief that existing science supports continued use of glyphosate under current labels. Burns-Thompson says that is exactly why the Alliance is pushing for national clarity on labeling standards.

“By having shades of gray state-by-state, as to how that is ultimately satisfied, [it] creates a patchwork of confusion,” she says. “At the end of the day, the product doesn’t change from state-to-state. So neither should the safety warnings.”

For these farmers, what they say they want from policymakers and courts is not a free pass, but a stable, science-led framework that lets them plan years ahead — and keep farming with the next generation.

“We know this thing is changing again,” Couser says, noting that his sons are now the fifth generation on the family operation. “How do we make sure we continue that legacy to make sure they can farm in the future?”

Farmers Emphasize Demand, Not Payments, Is The ‘Bridge To Better Times' For Agriculture

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:25:36 GMT

Two Midwest farmers are pinning their hopes for the future on stronger demand for corn and soybeans — especially the latter — as they navigate tight margins, high input costs, and an uncertain price outlook.

Northern Illinois farmer Steve Pitstick and south-central Iowa farmer Dennis Bogaards say they have exhausted most cost-cutting options for this season. They believe future profitability now rests on whether demand for both crops — particularly from domestic soybean crush and fuel markets — expands enough to support higher prices.

One silver lining currently, Pitstick says, is his relatively strong position on fertilizer heading into the 2026 planting season.

“We will do pretty much the dry spread program we always do,” he says. “We cut the rates a little bit on the phosphates just because of price. We booked our 32% in September, something we traditionally do. We have all the nitrogen bought, so I feel good about 2026 from that aspect.”

While he believes additional fertilizer is available, he notes it will likely be priced at a premium.

“I believe I can get more if I need it. I may not like the price, but I can get more,” he told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory during the weekly Farmer Forum segment.

Little To No Expansion On The Horizon

As the season begins, both farmers emphasize that the coming years will have farmers focusing on survival and strategic adjustments rather than acreage expansion.

One adjustment Bogaards is making is front-loading some of his nitrogen needs this season while leaving a portion open in case prices break.

“We booked anhydrous early on for this year, back in early fall, and got an OK price,” Bogaards says. “I have a little bit of sidedress that we do. We book about half of that, and I sit open on the rest of it. I’ll wait and see where it goes.”

Bogaards remains committed to sidedressing as long as product is available and prices do not continue ratcheting up. “If I can get it, I’ll put it on, unless it is a crazy, crazy price,” he says.

Like many U.S. growers, both Bogaards and Pitstick say there is virtually no room left to cut fertilizer use without risking yields.

“There is no place to cut back. We are being as efficient as we can be,” Pitstick says.

Bogaards agrees, noting that nitrogen is not the place to skimp. “Maybe a year or so, you can cut back on the P and K a little bit, but you do not want to get caught in three or four years of that.”

He also remains reluctant to drop fungicides. “Fungicides really pay off,” he says. “In the past, we did not use them, but the last few years they really paid, and I would hate to not spray them.”

Uncertainty About The 2027 Crop Mix

While the 2026 crop is largely “business as usual,” both farmers told Flory that 2027 brings real uncertainty—especially regarding nitrogen supplies. Pitstick is concerned about how global demand could impact costs for U.S. producers.

“I am worried about the price of the nitrogen,” he says. “It may not be an issue in the United States from a supply standpoint, but the rest of the world… could export our product because of opportunity cost, and that drives the price up. It is a total wait and see.”

Flory underscored how global trade flows directly shape what American farmers pay, noting that some fertilizer shipments originally destined for the U.S. were recently rerouted.

“Some boats are diverted from the U.S. to other countries,” Flory says. “If you want your share, you have to beat the next guy in line with the price.”

If nitrogen prices soar while corn prices stagnate, Pitstick says his rotation could shift. “That might change how we do things in 2027. We may have to go to more soybeans,” he says.

Bogaards also expects to alter his corn–soybean mix, given the potential demand from domestic crush and renewable fuels.

“In the past, we were probably 60% to 65% corn,” he says. “We have been backing off of that. I still do a little bit of corn-on-corn, but I might try to go to a 50–50 rotation.”

Flory believes this shift could help rebalance supplies and improve price prospects. “If we can pull some acres away from corn and get this thing rebalanced, maybe that is our bridge to a better time,” Flory says. “Our bridge to a better time is more demand across the board and crops competing for acres — not another payment.”

Bogaards says the shifting economics are already evident. “A couple of years ago, people said soybeans are a drag on our financial statements. It looks like almost the opposite right now.”

Even so, Bogaards is cautious about making long-term decisions based on short-term signals. “I can change acres right now, but by next fall, it might be the worst decision. I think you have to go with your rotation and stick with it.”

Pitstick links his long-term outlook to fuel sector growth, noting that both corn and soybeans increasingly function as energy crops.

“Some of the most profitable years of my career were when we had high fuel prices because we were also a fuel crop,” he says. “I have some optimism that these high fuel prices will cause some demand and increase our crop prices.”

For now, both farmers say their immediate job is to manage through 2026 while keeping their options open. With high costs for fertilizer, fuel, and machinery, they see expanded demand as the only realistic path forward.

“It is just survival at this point,” Bogaards says. “We just have to make sure we can survive and keep plugging through it.”

You can listen to the complete discussion between Bogaards, Pitstick and Flory on AgriTalk at the link below:

Why Your Herbicide Can Fail Even if You Follow the Label

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:35:29 GMT

When weeds break through your herbicide, it’s easy to blame the product, rate or application timing. However, weed-control experts Greg Dahl and Joe Ikley suggest the real culprits might be something else altogether: the water in the tank and the adjuvant — or lack thereof — mixed into it.

Dahl, a retired research manager at WinField United, says hard data tells the story best. After reviewing thousands of university trials, he found
that skipping the herbicide’s required adjuvant is an invitation for weed-control failure.

“We saw a 30% to 90% reduction in weed control when the adjuvant was left out,” Dahl says. “That’s a pretty big sting.”

But simply using an adjuvant isn’t enough. The trials showed that using the wrong class of adjuvant in the tank can slash performance by up to 50%. Even settling for a “good enough” product over a premium version can result in a 25% drop in efficacy. Notes Dahl: In the world of weed control, “close enough” often isn’t.

(Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology)

Solutions That Work

Hard water in the spray tank is often a contributor to poor weed control. When spray water is loaded with calcium and magnesium cations, that can create a hostile environment for weak-acid herbicides like glyphosate. These minerals physically bind to the herbicide, forming particles the plant cannot absorb.

“Plants don’t eat rocks,” says Ikley, a weed specialist at North Dakota State University Extension.

To counter this, he and Dahl recommend using ammonium sulfate (AMS) as a dedicated water conditioner. Dahl’s research indicates that in cases of extreme hardness, adding at least 8.5 lbs. of AMS per 100 gallons is necessary to fully neutralize the water and restore herbicide efficacy.

However, the battle isn’t just in the tank; it’s often on weed leaves. Ikley points out that certain weeds, like velvetleaf, actually secrete their own calcium crystals onto their leaf surfaces.

“Several of our weed species actually need higher AMS rates because of the crystals on the surface of that leaf,” Ikley explains. “We have to account for that interaction on the weed surface, not just in the water.”

While “all-in-one” adjuvant blends offer convenience, Ikley and Dahl urge caution. To hit a specific price point or fit multiple ingredients into the jug, manufacturers sometimes compromise on the water-conditioning component. University trials consistently show that very few “convenience” products can outperform the gold-standard combination of AMS plus a nonionic surfactant, Ikley and Dahl say.

Conditioners Aren’t All Created Equal

Dahl and Ikley both note that water conditioners and “all-in-one” adjuvants vary widely in performance. To get everything into a gallon and hit a certain price point, they say manufacturers sometimes compromise and come up short on one of the functions, often the one for water conditioning.

Ikley says university trials show only a handful of conditioners outperform the standard combination of AMS plus a nonionic surfactant.

“A few of the water conditioners do quite well,” he reports. “The rest don’t perform as well as AMS plus surfactant.”

Before they select or change the adjuvant used, Dahl and Ikley tell farmers to test their water, and ask the laboratory to report the results to them in parts per million.

“Some labs report in grains, and then you’ve got to do more math,” Dahl says.

Ikley adds a practical tip: always run the water for a few minutes before taking a sample to ensure you aren’t testing stagnant residue from the lines.

Ultimately, adjuvants are a valuable safety net for herbicide performance and weed control. As Dahl puts it, “You can raise herbicide rates until you can’t anymore. When you need help, the adjuvants can help.”

Boost Your Bottom Line By Keeping Your Soils In Place

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 20:20:39 GMT

Not every cost on the farm shows up on an invoice. In the view of Eric Beckett, some of the most expensive losses corn and soybean growers face this spring will be invisible — soil carried away by winds moving across their fields.

Beckett, an agronomist with Sunrise FS, says a combination of windier springs, tighter margins and volatile fertilizer prices is forcing a reckoning with long-standing tillage and nutrient application habits. The goal for farmers, he contends, shouldn’t be just agronomic performance this season but risk management, as well.

“Anytime we drag a piece of tillage equipment across the field, we are essentially breaking down that soil aggregate into smaller aggregates,” Beckett says. “That makes soil more susceptible to loss.”

While Beckett isn’t calling for an end to tillage, he is urging farmers in Illinois and beyond to consider the “ramifications coming down the road” before making multiple passes to clean up winter annuals or level tile lines.

A Growing Storm in the Midwest

Beckett’s concerns are grounded in shifting weather patterns. Meteorologists like Victor Gensini at Northern Illinois University have noted a rise in the frequency of convective storms and damaging straight-line winds across the Midwest and Southeast.

Likewise, Nutrien principal atmospheric scientist Eric Snodgrass reports that the Midwest is in a rapid transition from La Niña to ENSO-neutral conditions. While this “swift exit” can open planting windows, it also creates erratic atmospheric patterns. High-velocity winds are expected to surge through the Mississippi and Missouri River valleys through early April.

Beckett offers a concerned reminder for farmers tempted to push through windy conditions: “You’ve paid good money for that fertilizer. Why would we go out there when it’s windy and we have no idea where that fertilizer is going to end up, especially if it’s a variable-rate application where we know specific areas of a field need those nutrients?”

Calculating the True Cost of a Pass

Beyond the risk of blowing nutrients, Beckett suggests farmers “crunch the numbers” on the physical cost of every pass. With diesel prices hovering around $5 a gallon currently and tractor leases reaching $300 to $400 per hour, the overhead of extra tillage adds up quickly.

Beyond hard costs, tillage in what are currently dry soils will create additional costs. Beckett describes the ground in his area as “dry as a bone” six to eight feet down.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, this isn’t just an east-central Illinois issue: 41% of the U.S. corn-producing area and 42% of soybean acreage are currently experiencing some degree of drought. In droughty conditions, every unnecessary tillage pass further dries out the seedbed and can impact topsoil.

Navigating the Label and the Law

Wind doesn’t just steal nutrients; it creates significant legal liability. Most herbicide labels cap applications at 10 mph—a limit that is a legally binding mandate for many products, not a suggestion.

“If you are applying outside those windows and something goes wrong, you can be held liable,” Beckett cautions. To navigate these tighter windows, he suggests focusing on three tactical areas:

Carrier Volume: Increasing from 5 or 10 gallons per acre to 15 or 20 gallons can improve coverage and reduce the risk of fine, drift-prone droplets.
The Dust Factor: Even if winds are within legal limits, fine soil particles can “tie up” product and carry it off-target before it even hits the ground.
Drift-Reduction Tools: While not a license to spray in a gale, modern spray tips and drift-reduction agents are underutilized tools that can significantly improve stewardship.

The New Era Of Documentation

As new requirements tied to the Endangered Species Act take hold, Beckett says the burden of proof for compliance falls squarely on the applicator—whether that is the farmer or a custom applicator.

“Each field has got to have its own documentation,” he says. “Even if it’s just a manila folder... fill out what your mitigation practices are, what your setbacks are. Have that established in a file so the applicator can add to it as the season progresses.”

This level of detail is necessary because the industry is “under the microscope.” In an era where every passerby has a smartphone camera, Beckett says an application in a dusty field can end up on social media in minutes.

Ultimately, Beckett is asking farmers to make a deliberate pause to question habits and routine applications.

“I’m not standing here saying that everybody’s got to put cover crops on and turn every field green,” he says. “But if, collectively, everybody took it a little bit more upon themselves, I think we’d be in a lot better shape.”

Beckett addresses the topic of managing tillage and spray applications in unpredictable weather conditions during a recent episode of the Illinois Field Advisor podcast. You can watch the complete podcast here .

Are You Planting Second-Year Soybeans And Skipping Corn?

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 20:26:30 GMT

As input prices and markets fluctuate, many U.S. farmers are considering a shift from corn to soybeans this season. For some, like northwest Missouri farmer Todd Gibson, continuous soybeans aren’t just a one-year pivot—they are a long-term strategy to capture ROI on challenging soils.

Gibson, based near Norborne — a farming community that proudly bills itself as the “Soybean Capital of the World” — keeps a traditional corn-soybean rotation on his Missouri River bottom ground. But most of his fields with tougher, gumbo-type soils haven’t seen a corn planter in two decades.

“Growing corn on some of this heavy ground just doesn’t pay,” Gibson explains. “I’ve got some fields that have been in continuous soybeans for 20-plus years now.”

More Second-Year Soybeans In U.S. Farmers’ Plans

Gibson says he will grow more soybeans this season and on his better ground. “I’m going to cut my corn acres maybe in half. I’ll have more beans on the better dirt this year, mainly because of input prices,” he says.

Other U.S. farmers – many without Gibson’s experience – are looking to grow second-year soybeans. The Allendale Report released March 18 says private acreage estimates point to a shift toward more soybeans this season, notes Rich Nelson, chief analyst. He estimates U.S. corn planted area at 93.678 million acres, down about 5.1 million acres from 2025, while soybean acres are pegged at 85.659 million acres, up roughly 4.4 million acres over last year.

In southern Illinois, farmer and broker Sherman Newlin says the conversations he has with farmers these days are dominated by input costs and fertilizer availability concerns. While some tell him they’re sticking to their corn-bean rotations, others are considering a 100% shift to soybeans. Newlin is keeping his options open.

“I’m not planning on switching, but we’ll see,” he says. “We’ve still got a few weeks to go where we can swap out seed if we need to.”

Iowa Soybean Association Agronomist Lucas DeBruin says the farmers he works with in the state are sticking with their regular rotation and planting corn if that’s what the original plan was for this season.

“We use a lot of fall anhydrous here, so most guys are pretty locked into growing corn,” DeBruin says. “A lot of them also need the corn for livestock feed. Sometimes you can still squeeze a little bit more margin out of corn than the soybeans,” he adds, “and guys like growing corn more than soybeans. It’s more fun to pick corn.”

Look Before You Leap: The Ferrie Checklist

For farmers looking to change their seed order, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie suggests taking a hard look at your balance sheet and your fields first. Here are some of his key recommendations:

Consider What You’ve Invested To Date: If you’ve already applied fall anhydrous or dry fertilizer for a corn crop, the “switch to beans” math doesn’t work. “You can’t afford to go to beans, because you’ve already spent the money,” Ferrie contends.

Account for the Yield Penalty: In a beans-after-beans scenario, Ferrie tells growers to expect a 5-to-7-bushel yield drag due to more stress from potential disease, insect and weed pressure. His question: “If you take 7 bushels off your bean yield, does it still cash flow against your corn APH?”

The Management “Claw Back": You can potentially mitigate some of the yield penalty in second-year soybeans by moving your planting date up from May to April, Ferrie says. Early planting helps the crop get an earlier and longer flowering period which can help recover some of the lost potential.

One morning this past week, Ferrie noted that the market was leaning back toward corn and that the see-saw between crops could continue this spring — another factor to keep in mind.

“Looking at the markets this morning, I think a lot of guys would prefer growing corn at $4.90 than beans at $11.10,” he contends.

The Continuous Soybean Playbook

For Gibson, success with continuous soybeans works based on a disciplined management system he relies on every year:

Fertility is Foundational. Even if you shift from corn to soybeans, Gibson says be aware that the beans could require more nutrients. He monitors his soil fertility closely, noting that continuous beans often require extra sulfur, phosphorus and potassium. He also keeps a close eye on micronutrients to ensure the crop won’t hit a hidden yield ceiling.

Non-Negotiable Seed Treatments: In continuous soybeans, the soil is more likely to become a reservoir for pathogens. Gibson hasn’t put a bare seed in the ground in 20 years. “Seed treatment guarantees me 100% replant,” he says. “It lets you sleep better at night knowing that if you get a heavy rain, you have that insurance to fall back on.”

Row Spacing and Canopy: Gibson plants in 15-inch rows at a rate of roughly 130,000 seeds per acre. The goals are quick emergence and a quick canopy. He believes a fast-closing row is your best defense against weeds and helps preserve soil moisture in the heavy gumbo. Seed treatment use and regular scouting help him feel confident in using narrow rows.

Keep Your Boots In The Field: In a corn-bean rotation, the “break” in the cycle helps farmers manage various diseases, insects and weeds. In continuous soybeans, you lose that advantage.

Gibson compensates by routine scouting and being prepared to address problems. “If you hear your neighbors have bug pressure, assume you will, too,” he says. “Don’t have the attitude that you can ‘get by,’ because you probably won’t.”

He has similar thoughts regarding weed pressure – “be proactive.” His program typically starts with a pre-emergence/burndown or early post application, with residual herbicides used to hold back weeds. If weeds break through, he is prepared to return with a post pass.

“We kind of wish sometimes we didn’t have to worry about weeds so much,” he says. “But if you don’t, then next thing you know, you think, ‘Oh, I wish we would have sprayed.’”

The Genetic Advantage: The final piece of the puzzle for Gibson is the advancement in soybean technology. He recalls the days when he says Williams 82 was his only real option for continuous soybeans. Today, advanced traits have made managing weeds and disease in continuous systems much more manageable, he notes.

On his continuous soybean acres, Gibson consistently sees yields average in the 50-to-60-bushel range. When he factors in the lower input costs compared to growing corn on heavy gumbo ground, he believes the decision to go with continuous soybeans is a good one. For Gibson, it’s not about following a trend— it’s about knowing what his land does best and having the management practices in place to succeed.

Late Labels, Updated Restrictions, New Names: Navigate the 2026 Dicamba Landscape

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:03:24 GMT

As waterhemp continues to outsmart traditional chemistry, soybean growers are looking for a win in 2026. For Nate Eitzmann, that win starts with a returning tool in the toolbox: dicamba for over-the-top application.

A Certified Crop Advisor for Asmus Farm Supply, Eitzmann says while waterhemp is farmers’ enemy No. 1 in his geographic area—northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, and eastern South Dakota—he readily acknowledges other problematic weeds take the top spot in other regions. But all farmers are united in needing effective weed control options.

Adding to the farmer’s toolbox for 2026, the EPA has reinstated a label for three products for over-the-top (OTT) application of dicamba in soybeans. The 2024 season was the most recent growing year growers had access to OTT dicamba.

What does this mean for soybean growers?

Check your traits: Ensure your XtendFlex beans are ready for the application.
Review state cutoffs: Remember that federal EPA labels are the baseline, but state-specific dates and temperatures still apply.
Plan for ESA: Be prepared for runoff mitigation and buffer requirements that may be stricter than in 2024.

Eitzmann says dicamba is a great tool for broadleaf weed control, especially waterhemp.

“It’s risk versus reward with dicamba. It’s a tool that is great for us to add to our toolbox for waterhemp control. We just have to do our best to spray it responsibly within the label and keep it where we want it to be so it’s a tool we can continue to utilize in the future,” he says.

Acknowledging the volatility risk with dicamba, the EPA labels put in place measures to minimize the potential for off-target movement. Additionally, many states have instituted cutoff dates for application (based on calendar date and/or growth stage) and temperature maximums. Applicator training is also a requirement, as it has been in years past.

“Over the years of spraying this dicamba on soybeans, and even prior to that, using it in corn, the volatility concerns have been addressed and we’ve gotten better at it,” he says. “In addition, we’ve got the ESA compliance, so there are some runoff mitigation points that are also included in this, and a few different buffer requirements.”

Read more about the labels here.

What’s Different About the Dicamba Herbicides Available?

A trio of products is available for over-the-top dicamba application in soybeans and cotton:

Engenia: Newer salt formulation; binds tighter to acid to reduce volatility.
Stryax: The XtendiMax replacement; uses DGA salt + VaporGrip.
Tavium: DGA salt + VaporGrip + residual partner (pre-mix).

“As far as killing weeds, we haven’t seen any difference, and the label states we have to be at a half-pound of dicamba per application. So, that’s a different rate per acre of Engenia versus Tavium versus Stryax, but the active ingredient you’re getting is equivalent,” Eitzmann says.

How Much Dicamba Will Be Sprayed in 2026?

While the label for 2026 didn’t come as a complete surprise to Eitzmann or the industry in general, its timing was unexpected. The EPA label for dicamba arrived in early February, which was too late to affect trait packages already purchased by many farmers. Per Farm Journal research, most farmers are finished buying seed by February.

For his team at AFS, their dicamba-sprayed acres grew quickly after the initial EPA registrations, but they peaked around 2021/2022 as Enlist E3 acres gained market share.

For 2026, because of the timing of the labels, dicamba volumes aren’t expected to reach the same saturation seen in 2024. However, Eitzmann says some farmers are in a position to make the applications because of their seed planning.

“There are people who purchased XtendFlex soybeans and, going into purchasing season, they intended to have dicamba as an option. They maybe purchased herbicides to fill that gap if the registration didn’t happen, but once it did, they’re looking to make a change and add dicamba to their program for 2026,” he says.

As for having the tool, Eitzmann says his team and their farmer customers recognize it’s worth following the application requirements to maintain access to the herbicide.

“Be responsible with it, use it within the labels, use it where it fits, and don’t push those limits. I think as we go forward, it’s not a crutch that we have to lean on, but it’s an extra tool that we can use when it’s applicable,” he says.

Early Spring Soybean Weed Control: Managing Giant Ragweed and Kochia

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:02:13 GMT

Kochia and giant ragweed are formidable broadleaf soybean weeds that share many similarities, enabling you to scout for and manage them in tandem.

Here’s how chemical and cultural practices can help mitigate the risks of these weeds in soybean.

Kochia and giant ragweed: two early-season soybean weeds

Limit the threat of giant ragweed and kochia early in the soybean growing season with a one-two punch of chemical and cultural practices.

(BASF + Matt Lavin)

Because they are similar, kochia and giant ragweed are often susceptible to the same chemical and cultural control methods. Here’s a breakdown of their shared traits to help you simplify your control protocol:

1. Early and long emergence timeframe

Both giant ragweed and kochia can germinate early, with most emergence coming in the first two to three weeks of the season, though additional emergence can occur almost all season long.

Kochia can germinate as early as January and continue to emerge into July. Giant ragweed seedlings first emerge in March and can continue into early August.

Giant ragweed seedling

(BASF internal image)

2. Short seed life and fast germination

Both giant ragweed and kochia have a short seed life and fast germination, meaning early control of these soybean weeds is key to greatly reducing or eliminating them. More than

95% of kochia seeds die after two years.¹ Similarly, less than 1% of giant ragweed are viable by the end of the same period.²

By providing complete control and allowing no seed production in the first two years following a year with weed escapes, you can effectively rid the field of these weeds. If possible, delay tillage before planting in problem fields to control the large first flush of these weeds that germinate early in the season.

High potential for yield reduction

Giant ragweed grows quickly and can reach heights of up to 17'. Just one giant ragweed plant per 110 sq. ft. can reduce yields by up to 50%.³

Kochia’s erect plants feature stems between 1' and 4' high and can quickly overtake soybeans. Early-emerging kochia can reduce soybean yields by 70% or more.⁴

Herbicide timing for soybean weed control

Effective control of kochia and giant ragweed is achievable with a one-two punch of pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides. Always read and follow the product label and instructions before application.

Pre-plant and burndown herbicides for soybeans

Tillage or burndown herbicides can help you control emerged weed populations before planting. Sharpen® is among the most effective burndown herbicides and works best when applied before planting. It also offers residual weed control. 2,4-D is often used as a burndown tank-mixed with Sharpen.

Your pre-emergence herbicide list for soybeans

Consult your pre-emergence herbicide list and apply soybean pre-emergence herbicide when soil temperatures are warm enough for weed germination and before weed emergence to reduce germination and target seedlings. Verdict® herbicide is a strong option for giant ragweed control.

Post-emergence herbicide for soybeans

Foliar application of a post-emergence herbicide for weeds in soybean should be made when kochia plants or giant ragweed are between 3" and 4", or as directed by the label. Liberty® ULTRA herbicide and 2,4-D are good post-emergence control options for giant ragweed in emerged soybeans. Both can be applied in a tank mix with glyphosate.

Time your herbicide application carefully. For example, herbicide applications to kochia are ineffective when applied during the early button stage, when dense leaf hairs can hinder foliar absorption.⁵

Non-chemical soybean weed control

Rotate your soybeans with crops that work well with delayed seeding and pre-seeding tillage to keep weed populations more manageable. Clean equipment thoroughly to avoid transferring weed seeds between fields.

Fall-sown cover crops can also limit weed pressure. For example, triticale has been found to reduce kochia densities up to 94%.⁶

Cereal rye works well to suppress giant ragweed. Research indicates that at least 3,500 pounds of dry cereal rye biomass per acre could effectively reduce giant ragweed density by up to 50%.⁷

Reach out to your nearby extension office agent or a company professional like your regional BASF representative with questions about control of soybean weeds.

________________________________________________

Endnotes

Patterson, Eric. Kochia scoparia: Basic Research in Biology and Ecology. Colorado State University Weed Science, Dec. 2019, https://agsci.colostate.edu/weedscience/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/2019/12/Patterson_KochiaBiologyEcology_BasicResearch.pdf . Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
“Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.).” Weeds Extension, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, https://www.canr.msu.edu/weeds/extension/giant-ragweed . Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Johnson, Bill, et al. “Biology and Management of Giant Ragweed.” University of Delaware, www.udel.edu/content/dam/udelImages/canr/pdfs/extension/weed-science/GWC12_GtRagweed.pdf . Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
“Kochia Management in Soybeans.” MU Extension, 2018, extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/Pub/pdf/miscpubs/mx1135.pdf . Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Westra, Eric P. “Kochia.” Getting Rid Of Weeds, Grow - Integrated Weed Management, 25 June 2024, growiwm.org/weeds/kochia/ . Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
“Kochia.” Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, 28 Dec. 2023, agsci.colostate.edu/agbio/imp-pests/kochia/ . Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Wele, Rodrigo. “Cereal Rye Cover Crop Vs. Giant Ragweed.” Cover Crop Strategies, 2 Jan. 2024, www.covercropstrategies.com/articles/3029-cereal-rye-cover-crop-vs-giant-raweed . Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.

FBN Report: Tariffs Drive "Fragile Stabilization" in 2026 Crop Protection Market

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:52:49 GMT

The crop protection market—from a pricing standpoint—has shifted from a time of extreme volatility of recent years to what’s characterized by fragile stabilization. That’s one takeaway from FBN 2026 USA Ag Chem Price Transparency Report, which also notes how tariffs have driven the floor of prices higher.

The Impact of Tariffs on 2026 Inputs

Farmers should prepare for a 4% to 6% increase in overall chemical budgets. While the wild price swings of the post-pandemic era have settled, secondary costs like labor, fuel, transportation and tariffs are pushing retail prices upward.

“As the tariffs were implemented throughout 2025, the effects were felt in different ways in different times,” says John Appel, VP of Category Management at FBN. “A big reason for that was that product inventory had to be driven down in the channel before it was felt very broadly. And I think we did see that going into 2026 now, prices are definitely up versus the same time period in 2025, and that’s largely because tariffs have become structurally part of the cost for the farmer at this point.”

Trade duties and anti-dumping penalties—particularly on imports from China and India—are the primary drivers of price spikes for 2026. Key active ingredients (AIs) most affected include 2,4-D, S-Metolachlor, Clethodim, Dicamba, and Glufosinate.

Details on The Data Sources

FBN sources its data for this report on ag chemical invoices submitted by farmers, and this year’s report included 1,372 prices from 122 insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and adjuvants purchased June 1, 2025, and January 18, 2026 across 31 states. Participants are often incentivized with Amazon gift cards. Fifteen crop protection products had price variances of at least 25% from the lowest price to the highest price.

“Really the value is in the data. It depends on the year and the amount of participation we get, but we try to get a big enough pool where we can make a robust analysis,” Appel says. “The spread being a little bit tighter in 2026 was due to the tariff volatility. In 2025, you had at some points in the year pre-tariff prices that were being invoiced, at some points in the year post-tariff prices that were being invoiced, and so you see a very large spread in that case. And we don’t have that to the same extent this year as that.”

This is about 1,000 invoices lower than the 2024 data that was based on 2,400 invoices from 33 states. The company has done its price report for almost 10 years.

“FBN was founded based on a Moneyball approach. Crop protection prices information was really asymmetric, and so price transparency was launched in 2017 as a way to even the playing field, so to speak. We capture that data, and we anonymize it, and aggregate it, and analyze it at a top-line level. And so that allows us to share back with our farmer members what’s happening on a product-by-product basis in the market and really arm them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions,” Appel says.

Price Variability

The report advises moving away from “just-in-time” purchasing. Instead, it suggests buying in the fall to hedge against mid-season tariff changes and logistical bottlenecks in global shipping, which are projected to be a bigger risk in 2026 than manufacturing capacity.

“As the procurement window gets tight with overseas suppliers, with global markets, this is the time that that’s really felt, and we know that prices move about 10 points on average from pre-season to in-season, so that’s quite a bit. Now, will it be 10 points on every product all the time? Probably not, but in general, buying in the fall, buying early, even now, pre-season, where you can, makes a lot of sense,” Appel says.

On a national scale:

Clethodim 2E showed the highest variability with a 144% difference between the lowest and highest prices ($28.85 vs. $70.49).
Generic glufosinate followed with a 130% spread.

The FBN report shows persistent price variability, and farmers in neighboring states can pay a 50% price difference on the same products.

Generics vs. Branded: Where to Save

From the report, there is a push toward generic alternatives. For example, the report claims farmers could save 30% by switching to generic 2,4-D options or 11% on glyphosate compared to branded Roundup PowerMAX 3.

This data may not fully capture the complex “net-net” pricing traditional retailers offer through bundled seed-and-chemical rebate programs, which can significantly lower the effective cost for farmers who stay within a single manufacturer’s ecosystem.

Related Article: FBN Spins Out Its Crop Protection Business, Focuses on Marketplace and Technology

Use This 4-Step Checklist for 97%-Plus Waterhemp Control

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:44:09 GMT

In the constant battle to keep soybean fields clean, few weeds have proven as difficult for farmers to control as waterhemp.

“Last year, in 2025 we struggled a lot with waterhemp, and that’s a weed that’s going to continue to present problems for us,” notes Mike Hannewald, field agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids.

Seasonlong competition by waterhemp (more than 20 plants per square foot) has been shown to reduce soybean yield by 44%. Waterhemp emerging as late as V5 soybean reduced yields up to 10%, according to Take Action .

Hannewald’s message to farmers for 2026 is this: Controlling waterhemp isn’t about a single product or pass. It’s about designing a thoughtful, layered herbicide program that starts before the planter rolls.

Here is a summary of the four key practices he recommends:

1. Begin the season with clean fields.

The first principle is deceptively simple: start clean.

Hannewald advises using a burndown herbicide pass or properly set tillage if you’re in conventional tillage to completely remove existing weeds before planting.

“Make sure the tillage tool is actually set to tear the weeds out, checking that they’re fully uprooted and not just being knocked over,” he says.

2. Use a “three in the pre” herbicide application

Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR) data shows when three modes of action are used in a pre-emerge application to control waterhemp, 97% control was achieved and maintained 45 days after treatment.

“That residual can be either made after we do our tillage or combined with our burndown pass,” Hannewald says.

Adding a third site-of-action chemistry delivered an 8% boost over the use of two SOAs.

(Beck’s Hybrids)

Because there are many active ingredients available — and even more brand names — it’s easy to not succeed in getting three different chemistries in the tank. To help minimize confusion, Hannewald recommends tuning into the chemistry group numbers.

He recommends soybean growers use some combination of three herbicides from these four groups:

Group 2: Amino acid synthesis inhibitors, such as cloransulam.
Group 5: Photosynthesis inhibitors, such as metribuzin.
Group 14: Cell membrane disruptors, such as sulfentrazone
Group 15: Seedling root growth inhibitors, such as metolachlor, acetochlor and pyroxasulfone

“Now, if you are planting XtendFlex soybeans and you’re using an approved version of dicamba as your burndown, dicamba does have residual value, so that counts as one of the three,” Hannewald says. “But if you’re using 2,4-D on Enlist soybeans, 2,4-D does not have residual value, so that doesn’t count. You need to add three additional modes of action there.”

For more insights on specific Group Numbers, the MOAs, and product brand names, be sure to check out the 2025 Take Action Herbicide Classification Chart.

3. Make a post-herbicide pass prior to flowering

If building a strong pre strategy is partly about chemistry, the next step—timing the post pass—is about mindset. For many soybean growers, waiting to spray until weeds are obvious is a common course of action. Hannewald believes it’s time to change that thinking.

“This is the biggest mindset shift for us to stay ahead of waterhemp, and that’s spraying your soybeans before flowering,” he says.

In practical terms, this means moving the post pass much earlier than many farmers are used to—often when the field appears relatively clean (e.g. around V3 rather than R1).

“In most cases, you’re probably going to be driving through the field thinking, ‘I don’t need to be out here at this point because there’s not much weed pressure, if at all,’” he says.

But targeting small weeds early, before the beans canopy, allows you to get good coverage and control. This is especially important if you’re going to spray glufosinate (Liberty), reports Isaac Ferrie, Crop-Tech Consulting field agronomist.

According to the label Liberty can be sprayed on LibertyLink soybeans from emergence up to the R1 growth stage (first bloom).

“That means once 50% of those plants out there have one flower on them, we can’t spray Liberty,” Ferrie says.

Another consideration is the impact of later herbicide applications on yield potential.

A PFR study that compared herbicide applications in soybeans at V3 to those made at R1 found the latter application caused a yield decrease.

“We saw losses of 1.2 bushels to 2.5 bushels per acre just from the R1 application stressing that soybean plant,” Hannewald explains. “Even though our beans are tolerant to these herbicides, it still takes energy for that soybean plant to process that herbicide, metabolize it, break it down and get rid of it, and that energy causes stress on the plant.”

A post application with glufosinate (Liberty) gets another chemistry in the weed-control mix, which helps stop weeds and the opportunity for resistance to build.

(Beck’s Hybrids)

4. Add an in-season residual with the post pass

Step four is adding an in-season residual to the post pass. This is what makes the early post pass work.

“At this point, we still have some soil visible, and when we add that in-season residual, it’s like you’re laying a blanket across that soil to stop late-emerging waterhemp from growing,” says Hannewald.

He adds that he likes using a Group 15 herbicide as the residual now, because they’re effective on small-seeded broadleaf weeds.

Hannewald says Beck’s PFR shows farmers get 6% additional control – going from 88% to 94% control of waterhemp at harvest – by adding the in-season residual.

“While 6% may not seem like a whole lot, that works out to 17.1 million fewer viable waterhemp seeds per acre going in our seed bank for the next year and future years,” he says.

Fewer weed seeds means fewer waterhemp to deal with the following year.

(Beck’s Hybrids)

In summary, Hannewald boils his recommendations for 2026 down to a four-step framework: start clean, layer three modes of action into the pre pass, move the post application earlier—before flowering—and add an in-season residual to carry the field through canopy and into harvest with fewer waterhemp.

He adds that soybean growers can adapt those four steps to their own equipment, weed spectrum and trait platforms, but the underlying strategy remains the same: think proactively, diversify chemistry, and protect yield potential for this year and in the future. Listen to his full list of recommendations here .

Next-Gen Herbicides Target Tough Weeds In Corn And Soybeans

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:43:22 GMT

Several companies have announced new weed-control tools for row-crop growers’ use in the upcoming season. Here is a brief summary of the technologies:

Helena Agri-Enterprises plans to give corn and soybean growers more weed-control options this season with the launch of Testament. The new herbicide provides early-season weed control and strong crop establishment in pre-plant and pre-emergence applications, according to Michael Cox, Helena products group brand manager.

The herbicide combines three active ingredients—saflufenacil, pyroxasulfone, and dimethenamid-p—to create a powerful defense against tough weeds. In trials conducted across diverse regions, including the Dakotas, the Texas Panhandle, and the Mid-South, Testament proved effective against Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, marestail, morningglory and annual grasses.

“Testament fills a gap by providing great weed control in areas where crop rotation sensitivity is a concern,” Cox says in company news release. “Its broad application rate allows you to customize it based on your specific soil type and how long you need the protection to last.”

Timing and Resistance Management

Cox notes one of the standout features of Testament is its versatility. It can be used during fall burndown, pre-plant, or pre-emergence windows. Because it offers generous plant-back restrictions, growers have more flexibility when dealing with unpredictable weather or changing planting schedules. Additionally, by using multiple modes of action, Testament helps farmers manage the growing challenge of herbicide resistance.

In addition to Testament, Helena announced the EPA registration of Sinister Nexus, a three-way soybean herbicide. While Sinister Nexus will have limited availability starting in 2026 (pending state approvals), Cox says it represents Helena’s ongoing commitment to expanding its portfolio of weed control solutions.

Growers interested in learning more about Testament or Sinister Nexus can visit www.helenaagri.com for availability in their state.

The Future Of 2,4-D From Nufarm

Nufarm announces its 2,4-D-based product Weed Master XHL is available for use in 2026. The product features Nufarm’s patented Dual Salt Technology and lower-volatility DGA dicamba.

Four key features of WeedMaster XHL:

controls 90+ annual and perennial broadleaf weeds
provides reduced volatility and is a low odor formulation
offers improved handling and tank-mix compatibility
delivers superior cold storage performance

BASF Introduces Engenia and Zidua Plus

BASF announces it has received notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of federal registration for Engeniaherbicide for over the top (OTT) applications on dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton.

The new registration gives U.S. soybean and cotton farmers an additional tool to battle 200-plus weed species, including Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, kochia, morningglory and ragweed.

Stewardship is a critical component of any pesticide registration, and BASF says it continues to work with the EPA and state agencies to create national and state-specific training materials. The company will offer a suite of training options to ensure farmers and applicators understand the new Engenia herbicide label requirements.

On the horizon — potentially coming to U.S. farmers in 2026 — is new Zidua Plus herbicide. BASF says, upon registration, the herbicide will bring application flexibility, comprehensive weed control and residual endurance to soybeans with two modes of action. The product will be available for application from pre-plant through post-emergence.

First Dual Mode-Of-Action Classification

While not a new herbicide, FMC’s rimisoxafen has been classified by the Herbicide Resistance Action Committee (HRAC) as a dual mode of action herbicide, designated under HRAC Groups 12 and 32.

This is the first dual mode-of-action classification in HRAC’s history. The unprecedented classification recognizes rimisoxafen’s unique ability to simultaneously inhibit both phytoene desaturase (PDS) and solanesyl diphosphate synthase (SDPS), two critical biochemical pathways in weeds. The dual mode of action makes it far more difficult for weeds to survive and adapt, providing a critical new tool in the fight against herbicide resistance.

“HRAC’s historic classification of rimisoxafen validates the breakthrough nature of this technology,” said Seva Rostovtsev, executive vice president and chief technology officer, in a press release. “Studies show this molecule delivers control of palmer amaranth and waterhemp, giving farmers an effective solution against weeds that have become resistant to multiple herbicide classes. This is the kind of innovation growers need to protect their crops and their livelihoods.”

Rimisoxafen’s dual mode of action creates a significantly higher barrier to resistance development compared to single mode of action herbicides. Rimisoxafen is designed primarily for use in broadacre crops such as corn, soybean, cereals, pulses and sunflower, and will provide effective control of troublesome and resistant broadleaf weeds.

Syngenta To Exit Global Paraquat Production

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:43:17 GMT

Syngenta has announced it will cease global production of the herbicide paraquat by the end of June. The decision marks a significant shift for the company, which first brought the active ingredient to market more than 60 years ago.

According to a company news release, the move is driven by an increasingly competitive global landscape. The rise of generic products has eroded Syngenta’s competitiveness in manufacturing the herbicide. Today, paraquat is registered for sale by more than 750 companies worldwide and accounts for less than 1% of Syngenta’s total global sales.

UK Facility Will Advance Plinazolin Technology

Following an asset review, Syngenta is phasing out production at its Huddersfield, UK, site—its only manufacturing facility for paraquat globally.

Despite the closure of the paraquat unit, Syngenta remains committed to the UK location, recently completing a £50 million (approximately $63 million) investment to manufacture its advanced Plinazolin technology at the site.

Plinazolin is a new insecticide active ingredient intended to support resistance management across a wide range of crops. The company reports the technology is now cleared for use at the federal level and will enter the U.S. market pending individual state authorizations.

“This decision is about focusing our resources where they deliver the greatest value for our business and our customers,” said Mike Hollands, head of Syngenta global production and supply.

Syngenta Focuses On New U.S. Priorities

Paraquat has long been a staple in the U.S. farming toolbox, particularly for growers utilizing conservation practices like no-till farming. Syngenta maintains that the herbicide is safe when used according to registered label instructions and intends to work with partners and customers to ensure a smooth transition through the production phase-out.

The company stated its exit plan for paraquat aligns with its broader strategy to prioritize innovation in seeds, biologicals, and AI-enabled digital and precision agriculture solutions.

Regarding plinazolin, it will enter the 2026 growing season for U.S. farmers as a seed treatment, soil-applied formulation or foliar spray. Syngenta said it plans to market five products built on the technology:

Opello for corn rootworm control
Equento as a seed treatment for wireworm and other below-ground pests in cereals and pulse crops
Vertento for cotton, peanuts and onions
Incipio for a range of vegetable crops
Zivalgo for potatoes and tree fruit

All five products belong to IRAC Group 30, a classification associated with novel chemistries for insect management. Syngenta stated that the formulations are designed to match the specific requirements of different crops and pests, and to integrate with existing application practices.

Trump’s Glyphosate Executive Order Frames Food Security As National Security

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:12:23 GMT

On Feb. 18, President Trump signed an executive order related to domestic elemental phosphorus and glyphosate production touching on three policy tenets common to the administration: national security, food production and affordability. One connection that wasn’t made: Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), as some MAHA-aligned advocates have been critical of the pervasive use of glyphosate in agricultural production.

The executive order outlines why and how USDA will ensure adequate supplies of elemental phosphates and glyphosate herbicides.

From the executive order: “As the most widely used crop protection tools in United States agriculture, glyphosate-based herbicides are a cornerstone of this Nation’s agricultural productivity and rural economy, allowing United States farmers and ranchers to maintain high yields and low production costs while ensuring that healthy, affordable food options remain within reach for all American families.”

Elemental phosphorus is used in many industrial and defense-related applications and notably is a key ingredient in the process to formulate glyphosate.

Bayer, through its subsidiary Monsanto, is the only domestic producer of glyphosate in the U.S. Bayer mines phosphorus in Soda Springs, Idaho, formulates glyphosate production in Muscatine, Iowa, and finishes the formulation and production in Luling, La. Due to legal liabilities over lawsuits related to allegations of glyphosate leading to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, last year Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said the company may stop producing the herbicide.

Bayer subsidiary Monsanto provided this statement: “President Trump’s executive order reinforces the critical need for U.S. farmers to have access to essential, domestically produced crop protection tools such as glyphosate. We will comply with this order to produce glyphosate and elemental phosphorus.”

Noting the supply chain vulnerability, the executive order mentions the Department of the Interior has designated elemental phosphorus as a scarce material. Every year, 6,000,000 kilograms of elemental phosphorus are imported into the U.S.

Per the president’s executive order, “Consistent with these findings, I find that ensuring robust domestic elemental phosphorus mining and United States-based production of glyphosate-based herbicides is central to American economic and national security. Without immediate Federal action, the United States remains inadequately equipped and vulnerable.”

The order delegates Defense Production Act authorities to the secretary of agriculture to help ensure adequate supplies of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides, including issuing orders and adopting implementing regulations in coordination with defense officials, while avoiding actions that would jeopardize the viability of domestic producers.

Supporters of the MAHA movement have posted on social media reacting negatively to the White House supporting glyphosate production and use in the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who has been critical of glyphosate, has not commented on the executive order.

While the first MAHA report issued in May 2025 opened up the discussion to criticize pesticide use, including glyphosate, the follow-up action strategy related in September 2025 was more well received by the agricultural industry for how it cited scientific standards for pesticide regulation and use.

Know The Rules For Dicamba Use In Your State

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:50:50 GMT

The EPA has finalized the dicamba label for the next two growing seasons, bringing much-needed clarity to U.S. farmers. But while over-the-top (OTT) use is officially back, it arrives with the most restrictive federal requirements farmers have seen to date for products like Engenia , Tavium , and Bayer’s new XtendiMax replacement, Stryax .

In some cases, states are adopting stronger regulations for dicamba use, especially with regard to temperature and calendar cutoffs:

Temperature Cutoff: The federal label mandates a 95°F forecast high as a hard cutoff. If the National Weather Service forecasts a high above 95°F, you cannot legally spray OTT dicamba that day.
No Federal Calendar Cutoff: Unlike previous labels, the EPA has not set a nationwide calendar deadline.

State-Specific Restrictions In Place

Illinois and Minnesota are two states, so far, that are going with stricter regulations for temperature and application timing cutoffs for dicamba.

Illinois is using an 85°F forecast high as the cutoff for dicamba applications in soybeans.

“If you load your sprayer and it is 78 degrees at 10 a.m. in the morning, but the forecasted high by the National Weather Service is supposed to be 85 or 86, that is a do-not-spray day,” says Kevin Johnson, director of government relations and strategy for the Illinois Soybean Association.

Deadline for application: Plan for a June 20 cutoff for OTT applications, Johnson says.

Minnesota:

Temperature: Minnesota is using an 85°F forecast high cutoff for dicamba applications in soybeans.

Deadline for applications: June 12 cutoff south of I-94; June 30 cutoff north of I-94, according to Dicamba Restrictions Announced for 2026 Growing Season .

Shifting Your Weed Control Strategy

Because of the tighter application timing windows in Illinois, Johnson anticipates there could be a shift in how farmers there use the chemistry. He expects many Illinois farmers to move dicamba to a pre-emergence timing rather than post-emergence, saving OTT dicamba only for “super high weed” pressure situations.

With many seed trait packages now stacking dicamba and glufosinate (Liberty) tolerance, Johnson says to expect “a lot more guys using Liberty on the back end.”

In addition, the EPA is tying dicamba use to mandatory conservation practices. Farmers can find more details on the Bulletins Live! Two Website

“We’re still waiting on a lot of details on what those conservation practices are,” Johnson says. “Bulletins Live! Two is a good website, but it’s, I’ll say clunky… it’s not real easy to just find one thing and find what you need,” he cautions.

Record Keeping: Don’t Risk A $700 Fine

The most immediate hurdle for many farmers interested in using the technology this spring will be the paperwork. In Illinois, the Department of Agriculture uses a 22-question record-keeping sheet specifically for dicamba.

“If I can stress anything in this call, do your record keeping,” Johnson emphasizes. “If you ever get called in on a complaint, the first thing they ask you for is your record keeping. If you do not have all 22 questions filled out, you are going to get a $700 fine. There’s no questions asked.”

To stay ahead of that risk, Johnson advises Illinois farmers to complete records on a timely basis, not “later when things slow down.” He urges them to fill out as much of the form as possible before the season begins, including static information about equipment, farm identifiers, and general practices, then finish the day-specific entries in the cab during or immediately after the job. Some of the information—like wind speed, wind direction, and exact application timing—can only be captured accurately in real time.

For custom applications, the legal burden for record keeping falls on the applicator, Johnson adds, but growers should still ask for copies for their own files and talk openly with retailers about documentation expectations.

All of this points toward one overarching need, Johnson says: have a clear herbicide game plan for 2026, especially if you plan to use dicamba, and build in contingencies. He addresses more of the dicamba requirements specific to Illinois farmers in a recent Field Advisor podcast, available here .

Bayer Proposes Class Settlement Deal in Monsanto’s Roundup Litigation

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:09:58 GMT

Announced today, Bayer’s subsidiary Monsanto has reached a class settlement deal —pending court approval—to reach the company’s goal of containing glyphosate litigation.

The deal includes $7.25 billion over 21 years for current and future glyphosate cases.

Almost two years ago, then-new CEO Bill Anderson said it was his goal to have the legal liabilities “under control” by 2026, which had weighed on Bayer. Company leaders said the settlement provides the greatest possible closure for the Roundup litigation by addressing all present and potential claims of non-Hodgkin-lymphoma (NHL) allegedly due to Roundup exposure.

In his statement today, Anderson said the company is “choosing speed and containment over a lengthy battle in the courts.”

“Today’s announcement does not take away from the truth, a truth that scientists and regulators around the planet continue to uphold: that glyphosate is a safe and essential tool for farmers in the U.S. and around the world,” Anderson said.

He continued, “This settlement comes at a cost, even beyond its direct monetary price. It has cost employees their jobs. It’s diverted funding away from new medicines and new seeds and towards litigation, an industry that costs the average U.S. household more than four thousand dollars every year. So, while this settlement is necessary for the company today, we maintain our significant objections to the broken tort system that makes it necessary.”

The settlement is filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The class includes people who allege Roundup exposure before Feb. 17, 2026 and who already have NHL or are diagnosed within 16 years after final court approval.

“With more than 40,000 Roundup personal injury non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma claims already in court or under tolling agreements, new filings arriving daily, a pending Supreme Court petition that could restrict plaintiffs’ recovery rights, and crowded dockets offering limited trial dates, Motley Rice began negotiating with other proposed class counsel to reach a settlement with Monsanto,” said Motley Rice co-founder and settlement negotiator, Joseph F. Rice. “I believe this $7.25 billion proposed national class settlement reached in Missouri state court is the best path forward to finally bring the Roundup® litigation to a closing chapter. Based on the hard work of class counsel and Monsanto’s counsel, both occupational and residential exposures will be covered, the rights of future claimants have been uniquely protected, and payments should begin in 2026.”

Six years ago, Bayer proposed a class settlement which did not move forward. That proposal was limited to four years of funding and future litigation beyond those four years required an expert science panel for determination of qualifications.

Beyond the class proposal, Bayer says it has reached separate confidential agreements to settle certain other Roundup cases.

Today’s news comes one month after the Supreme Court agreed to hear one of the cases , referred to as a the Durnell case, which calls into question federal preemption of pesticide labels.

4 Biocontrol Strategies To Shrink Your Weed Seed Bank

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:27:28 GMT

Mother Nature has a way of balancing the scales, and for farmers looking to manage persistent weed pressure, biological control—or biocontrol—is one testament to that.

Unlike making a traditional herbicide pass with your sprayer, biocontrol isn’t about fast or even total eradication. Instead, it’s usually a long-term strategy designed to tip the scales in your favor, using living organisms to keep weed populations at a “manageable level,” according to William Curran, Penn State emeritus weed scientist.

While biocontrol methods are common in rangelands and perennial systems, Curran notes they can require more effort to adopt in row-crop settings where tillage and rotations can disrupt the very organisms farmers are trying to put to work.

Curran says if you’re interested in using biocontrol measures as part of a comprehensive weed-control program, there are four primary categories to consider, including:

The Classical Approach: This involves introducing a specific natural enemy into a weed-infested area. The goal is for that organism to establish a permanent home, feeding on the target weeds year after year to naturally suppress their growth and seed development. An example of this would be the use of a Canada thistle rust pathogen .
The Augmentative or Inundative Method: Bio-herbicides are one example of inundative methods. The intent is to overwhelm the weed population quickly. This practice often requires multiple applications to be effective.
Conservation Management: Sometimes, the best helpers are already in your fields. By adjusting your cropping system to be more “predator-friendly,” you can boost the populations of native organisms, like ground beetles, that naturally snack on weed seeds.
Grazing: One of the oldest tools in the shed is still one of the most effective. Utilizing cattle, sheep, or goats to graze down weed-heavy areas can significantly reduce seed banks and keep invasive species in check.

For more information on biocontrol weed control practices, check out a newly updated webpage , authored by Curran and released by the GROW network.

Is Zero Tolerance For Weed Escapes The New Standard?

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:08:08 GMT

Across the country, Extension weed scientists are rewriting the rules of acceptable weed pressure in corn and soybeans. For many, tolerance for a few late-season escapes of tough weeds—like Palmer amaranth and waterhemp—is a thing of the past. Increasingly, the Extension community is encouraging farmers to draw some harder lines. One of those is for zero tolerance for weed seed production.

“We have really kind of shifted to this idea largely because of herbicide resistance. That is a huge threat for our crop production systems,” explains Sarah Lancaster, Kansas State University weed management Extension specialist and assistant professor.

Lancaster emphasizes that effective weed control is no longer about picking one or two individual tools to address weeds and prevent seed dispersal. Instead, it is about stacking as many tools as feasible into a single season.

“If you think about this as a multiple-choice answer, it’s not about using A, B, or C. The right answer is D—use all of the above,” she says.
Herbicides, cultural practices, strategic tillage, cover crops, rotations, and sanitation all play a role in stopping weeds.

During a recent episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, available here , Lancaster addressed specific tools and practices to help farmers work toward the “zero tolerance” goal this season. Here are five for consideration:

1. Herbicides Will Still Be A Core Tool For Weed Control.

Despite the push for diversification, Lancaster believes herbicides remain the central tool for row-crop farmers.

“In our conventional broad-acre ag systems, herbicides are still going to be the most efficient, most economical way to [control weeds]—I’m going to say for the rest of my career,” she says.

However, decisions about product selection, rates, application timing, and application quality are increasingly critical—even more so under stress conditions like heat and drought. In western Kansas, Lancaster sees farmers adjusting their practices to meet these challenges.

“When it gets hot and dry, our farmers are really good at modifying their herbicide applications to make sure they’re still going to be efficacious in those very difficult conditions,” she explains. “They know that if they skimp on the water, they’re wasting their time, so they do a good job of accounting for that, modifying their adjuvants, and knowing when to adjust.”

2. Use Cultural Practices To Make The Crop Competitive.

Lancaster stresses that managing the crop can be just as important as managing the weeds.

“Other things that we talk about would be cultural control practices, looking at planting dates and row spacings,” she says. “How do we manipulate that crop to make it as competitive as possible and maybe support our herbicides a little bit better, so that we have fewer weeds to control?”

For growers, this means considering narrower rows, if suitable for the cropping system, and using optimal planting dates to favor the crop over the weeds.

These tactics don’t replace herbicides, Lancaster adds, but they make every herbicide dollar go further.

3. Consider Using Strategic Tillage In No-Till Systems.

In Kansas, no-till is widely adopted to conserve soil and water, but Lancaster points out that it can reshape the weed spectrum and the tools required to manage it.

“Here in Kansas, no-till is a very important soil conservation practice, but it brings its own set of weed management challenges,” she notes. “The number one reason that tillage is a good thing is to kill weeds. When you remove that, you’re 100% reliant on herbicides.”

She believes there are scenarios in no-till where strategic or occasional tillage has a place. One example is the return of perennial warm-season grasses in long-term no-till fields, such as tumble windmill grass.

“That’s an example of a situation where strategic or occasional tillage is becoming a more accepted, more common idea for managing some of these key weeds,” Lancaster says.

Her bottom-line message is to use tillage strategically whenever tough weeds require it.

4. Technology Can Help Improve Control, Reduce Rates, Cut Costs.

Lancaster sees real promise in camera- or sensor-based systems that spray only where weeds are present, such as “See & Spray” or “Weed-It” systems. She finds the technology is especially beneficial on fallow ground or in stubble.

She notes that in some cases, these tools are what make no-till financially viable. Referencing one farmer she works with, Lancaster sayss they used this technology to stay aggressive on weed control while actually reducing input costs.

“They’ve looked at the economic numbers, and now they know that they can kill the weeds with herbicide applications and drop that herbicide cost below the cost of running a sweep plow,” she says. “It’s allowed them to gain those benefits of conserving moisture.”

5. Prioritize Prevention and Sanitation.

Lancaster urges farmers to lean into prevention and sanitation—two tools she believes are often undervalued. In Kansas, where many farmers also raise cattle, she sees clear risks in how feed and manure are handled.

“Livestock manure is very valuable, but if it’s not been composted well, or if that animal has had a diet that’s full of weed seeds, that’s going to introduce a whole other set of problems,” she warns.

People, vehicles, and animals are potential vectors for weed seeds. Lancaster advises farmers to be intentional about cleaning all equipment—including combines—to prevent spreading seeds from one field to another.

She extends this advice to anyone moving between multiple farms, especially.

“I remind students that if they’re a field scout in the summer, they need to be careful to not make their four-wheeler or their work boots a weed seed dispersal instrument,” she says. “It only takes one instance of seed introduction to have a serious problem for a long time.”

Put More Spray Where It Pays

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:58:40 GMT

When you pull the sprayer into fields each spring, you’re banking that the product coming out of the nozzles will land where you need it to work. That’s where drift reduction adjuvants (DRAs) can become one of the most profitable—and protective—ingredients in your tank.

Consider what happens when you spray a crop protection product. Each nozzle throws out a spectrum of droplet sizes, from big “marbles” that fall quickly to tiny “dust” droplets that hang in the air, explained Greg Dahl, director of adjuvant education for the Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA), during a recent Agricultural Retailers Association webinar.

Those tiny droplets, called driftable fines, are the troublemakers. They lose energy fast, ride the wind and can move well beyond your field. That’s not the case for larger droplets.

“Big droplets have to land. They are going to land, and they’re going to land close to where you spray,” Dahl says. “Small droplets, they probably are not going to land. They will lose their speed, and then they’ll just float in the air and go wherever the air goes.”

By design, DRAs shift more of your spray volume into larger, heavier droplets that are still effective but far less likely to drift. Across a wide range of nozzles, Dahl says industry research shows that adding a DRA can reduce the spray volume made up of driftable fines.

“Going across the whole system of nozzles, we get about a 50% reduction in the amount of spray volume that is made up of driftable fines,” he reports.

In practical terms, that means less product left hanging in the air and able to drift toward your neighbor’s crops, garden or yard.

There are at least four benefits to adding a good quality DRA in the tank.

(WinField United)

Drift Control Is Only Part Of The Benefit From DRAs

Many farmers are concerned that bigger droplets going out of the nozzles will automatically result in poorer coverage, particularly in post-emergence applications. In some cases — especially with ultra-coarse sprays — that’s true, Dahl says. Coverage can suffer, and penetration into the crop canopy can be weak. The right DRA, though, has been shown to increase droplets’ speed as they leave the nozzle, which improves penetration into the crop canopy.

“If we look where we have added in a DRA, it has actually increased the amount of speed of those droplets, so they’re going to go farther before they run out of energy, and we’re going to get better penetration of the canopy, better deposition farther down,” Dahl says.

Side-by-side comparisons in corn and soybeans using fluorescent dye tell the story more completely (see below). Without a DRA, Dahl’s slides illustrate that coverage is good on the top leaves of the crop but falls off quickly as the product moves down into the plant. With a deposition-type DRA, coverage is more balanced from the top to below the ear leaf in corn and throughout the soybean canopy.

A good quality DRA helps provide good product coverage all the way through the crop canopy, as noted in the plant on the right.

(Greg Dahl)

The ROI Of Improved Product Applications

Better coverage does show up in yield results, Dahl reports. Across hundreds of corn fungicide trials, for instance, he says adding a DRA to the tank delivered an average yield increase of about 5.7 bushels per acre compared to fungicide use alone.

In wheat, similar work showed nearly a 4‑bu.-per-acre advantage.

There’s also an economic advantage in terms of product retention. When you reduce the number of driftable fines, more of the active ingredient you paid for actually lands and stays in your field instead of drifting away.

Dahl says not all DRAs and nozzle combinations are created equal. Some thicker, polymer-type products can narrow the spray angle or even increase driftable fines with the wrong nozzle used, especially Venturi designs. That’s why choosing proven products matters. He says oil-emulsion DRAs, in particular, have shown they can cut driftable fines without creating an overly thick spray or sacrificing pattern quality.

“There’s almost 500 labels that recommend using CPDA-certified adjuvants, and there’s over 200 products that are CPDA-certified adjuvants,” Dahl says, referencing the website CPDA.com . “We think that’s where you should go for information, and we thank you for that,” he adds.

Faster Tillage, Smarter Spraying: John Deere Expands Its Machinery Lineup

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:58:58 GMT

Farmers looking to conquer heavy residue and tight tillage windows have new ways to tackle both challenges with John Deere’s expanded High-Speed Disk (HSD) lineup. For 2027, the company is offering four new HSD two-section models, which build on initial introductions in 2025. The latest models will be available in 15’, 19’, 22’ and 25’ widths.

As Michael Porter explains, the disks are purpose-built for the slowest, most time-consuming job on row-crop farms: deep ripping.

The high-speed tillage tools combine multiple operations into a single pass — residue sizing, burial, compaction removal and field leveling — delivering both agronomic and economic benefits, especially when paired with autonomous operation, explains Porter, John Deere marketing manager for large tractors and tillage.

Autonomy Creates New Efficiencies

For 2026, autonomy ready capability is available on the 2730 combination ripper and the 64’ and 69’ 2230 field cultivator models, giving farmers more options to integrate autonomous tillage into their operations. Porter says the autonomy factor could create a whole new level of efficiency for row crop growers short on time and manpower.

“Think about having an operator sit in that machine for 12 hours a day and maybe only getting one or two fields done. Now they can go haul grain … and when they get done, there’s a good chance 60%, 70%, 80% of their fields have already been ripped, and they just need to finish up the last few,” Porter says.

The company’s so-called “combination ripper” is equipped with lights, cameras and a StarFire receiver mast to enable safe, precise autonomous operation. “With autonomy, we need to know where this tool is at all times,” Porter notes.

Farmers with 2016 or newer 2730 combination rippers can update to autonomy-ready through a John Deere Precision Upgrade kit. The kits provide a cost-effective way to enhance existing machines delivering greater flexibility, Deere reports. Combination ripper upgrade kits will be available for order starting in summer 2026, while field cultivator kits are available today.

(Rhonda Brooks)

Sixteen cameras provide 360-degree perception, essentially replacing the operator’s eyes. In autonomous mode, the system detects obstacles, evaluates whether it can proceed, and either continues on its own or alerts the operator through Operations Center mobile with customizable, high-priority notifications.

When it comes to ROI, the payoff comes from both direct labor savings and the ability to reallocate time during harvest.

“In general, we see some customers who have run 5,000, 7,000 acres in a year, at a $40,000 to $50,000 cost to them, and this pays off. Those growers are saying, ‘Hey, I would have had to pay someone X amount of dollars for all those hours sitting in the cab,’” Porter says.

See & Spray Upgrades

Farmers staring down ugly weed pressure and weak commodity prices are demanding more from every input dollar. With that in mind, John Deere is betting its model year 2027 upgrades will prove See & Spray is not just cool tech. Instead, the company is positioning it as a fundamental tool designed to deliver better weed control, increased flexibility and a faster payback for farmers across a broader range of crops.

Historically, See & Spray was a tool for use in corn, soybeans and cotton. For 2027, John Deere is moving into the small grains market.

“We are jumping headfirst into wheat, canola, barley and a handful of other crops,” Ladd says, noting peanuts and sugar beets are also joining the list.

Last year, See & Spray covered over 5 million U.S. acres and delivered nearly a 50% reduction in non-residual herbicide use. For farmers on the fence about investing in the technology, the value proposition is moving away from saving dollars and toward improving the bottom line. For many growers, the company says, a two- to three-year ROI is available with the technology.

“We understand the increasing pressures farmers are facing, driving them to find solutions that allow them more flexibility and the opportunity to do more with less,” says Josh Ladd, marketing manager for application equipment at John Deere. “That is why we have updated See & Spray to directly address those challenges by helping farmers apply exactly what’s needed, where it’s needed, and across more acres and more crops.”

Computing Power Gets Updated

On a recent walk-around of a 2027 machine at the company’s Austin, Texas, R&D center, Ladd starts with what you can’t see from the outside: the machine’s computing backbone. Earlier generations of See & Spray relied on as many as 10 processors. The new models consolidate that power into just three vision processing units (VPUs) mounted on the center frame.

“We’re able to do that and not make any sacrifices on overall computing power, and there is less weight involved,” Ladd says. “We can only put so much stuff on this machine’s boom before we start to worry about boom durability, compaction and consistency of performance.”

Nozzle technology is also becoming more cost-effective. While the ExactApply (30Hz pulsing) remains the standard for dual-product systems, John Deere is introducing Individual Nozzle Control Pro as a factory option for 2027 single-tank machines.

“For customers who want 15Hz pulsing instead of 30Hz, or are comfortable with a five-nozzle turret, it’s a more accessible option,” Ladd explains. This gives farmers and customer applicators another entry point into row-by-row nozzle control from the factory, he added.

Additional Enhancements

New center-frame camera placement, on the front of the sprayer, to reduce dust interference and enhance detection accuracy for more-consistent application quality. For operators with MY18 to MY26, these cameras will be available through a Precision Upgrade kit.
Higher operating speeds in targeted modes — up to 16 mph depending on crop and configuration, allowing more acres to be covered when application windows are tight.
Optional full boom lighting enables targeted fallow application at night to extend productive hours.

The expanded See & Spray capabilities will be available on MY27 John Deere 408R, 410R, 412R, 612R and 616R sprayers. In addition, all Hagie sprayers – STS12, STS16, and STS20 – will now feature See & Spray Premium as a factory-installed option.

Alongside the expanded See & Spray capabilities, John Deere is introducing several MY27 sprayer enhancements designed to improve overall productivity, operator awareness and in-field efficiency across a wider range of applications.

Updated Name for DA Series Applicators

To better align their applicator portfolio with the broader tillage portfolio, John Deere is updating the naming of its DA Series Applicators, formerly known as the 2510H. While the name might be new, farmers can continue relying on the same proven performance they are used to across multiple seasons.

“With the MY27 updates, we continue to deliver proven durability, increased flexibility and technology-ready solutions that help farmers maximize productivity,” Porter says.

To learn more about the updates to the John Deere application portfolio, visit JohnDeere.com or contact your local John Deere dealer.

Supreme Court Will Review Roundup Case

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 22:32:08 GMT

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today it will review a case that could impact litigation that involves Roundup. This comes after Monsanto, a subsidiary of Bayer, petitioned the court and received a brief in support of the appeal from the U.S. solicitor general’s office.

“The Supreme Court decision to take the case is good news for U.S. farmers, who need regulatory clarity,” said Bayer CEO Bill Anderson. “It’s also an important step in our multi-pronged strategy to significantly contain this litigation. It is time for the U.S. legal system to establish that companies should not be punished under state laws for complying with federal warning label requirements.”

The specific case to be reviewed (Durnell) originated in Missouri in October 2023, when the Missouri Circuit Court for the City of St. Louis and the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, saying the company failed to warn of the product’s risk, and awarded them $1.25 million.

There has been a split among federal circuit courts in Roundup personal injury litigation, which brought it to the Supreme Court. The company says this raises the cross-cutting question of whether federal law preempts state claims based on failure-to-warn theories.

To date, Bayer has paid more than $10 billion to plaintiffs in litigation claiming Roundup as the cause of their cancer. The company has budgeted more than $17 billion toward the glyphosate litigation.

Anderson became Bayer CEO in 2023, and one of his commitments was to get the glyphosate litigation “under control” by the end of 2026. In total, there have been about 180,000 lawsuits brought forward, with about 60,000 cases open now.

Previously, Bayer announced a multi-prong strategy to achieve Anderson’s goal, including court case management, state law advocacy and a call to the Supreme Court to review the FIFRA’s preemption provision.

The company has said it could withdraw from the market if they aren’t successful with the goal of containing the litigation next year. Currently, Bayer is the only domestic producer of glyphosate in the U.S.

Control the Controllables To Capture More Bushels

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:27:18 GMT

A solid game plan addressing key fundamentals could be the most powerful risk-management tool farmers have going into the 2026 season, according to Randy Dowdy and David Hula. Here are four they encourage farmers to review and work on this winter:

Fuel The Crop Adequately

Hula stresses that even in low-margin years, you can’t cut corners on fundamental crop needs. He emphasizes using soil tests to manage N, P and K, looking at soil pH and applying lime where needed.

“When you think about where you’re spending dollars, you can’t waiver from that,” he says. “We have to cover the basics… there’s nothing that’s sexy about farming right now, [everyone’s] just trying to survive.”

Why Your Planter Is the Lowest Hanging Fruit for Yield

Randy Dowdy says the planter represents the “lowest hanging fruit” for yield improvement on 90% of U.S. farms.

“The planter is just not performing at the levels to reach the maximum potential that most farmers need to support and service debt,” Dowdy says.

He encourages growers to spend time in the shop, ensuring that every row unit is capable of delivering “picket fence” seed placement and performance. For Dowdy, this means every seed is placed at a consistent depth and spacing, emerging within a tight window of 10 to 12 Growing Degree Units (GDUs) of one another

“Does every seed have the same standard deviation between them, the placement from one seed to the next? Are they all singulated, and are they all coming up at the same time? If that’s not happening, that’s a big deal,” Dowdy says.

Consider Seed Size Along With Good Genetics

While every farmer is tuned into genetics, Dowdy and Hula say they can benefit from taking seed size into consideration, too.

One of the questions Hula says he often gets is, “What’s the best seed size to plant?”

After years of analyzing small rounds versus large flats, his philosophy has evolved into a practical rule of thumb.

“My answer now is simple: whatever your planter plants the best, that’s the seed you want to plant,” he says.

But that only works if you’ve done your homework on the meters—cleaning them, replacing worn parts, and calibrating them with actual seed to determine the vacuum and speed settings. Taking these steps can eliminate guesswork that leads to skips and doubles.

Generally, Dowdy observes that “Deere likes rounds, Precision likes flats.”

Both Dowdy and Hula caution against the temptation of buying plateless (mixed-size) seed just because it carries a lower price tag. Their take: if you use it, run side‑by‑side strips with good, graded seed so you can see the real yield cost.

“I’d really challenge [anyone using plateless seed] to plant some graded seed next to it… just so you could know what it’s costing you. It’s costing you money,” says Hula.

Take Only Calculated Risks, ‘Miss Small’

Dowdy says this is the year to “control the controllables” and stick with practices you know consistently pay. He warns that farmers can’t afford big mistakes in this economy. While he’s not afraid of trying new practices, he is afraid of not being profitable and not being able to service debt, so due diligence and ROI have to come first.

“If we’re going to have a fail, we don’t need to fail in a big way. We need to miss small in an economy like this,” Dowdy says. “I’ll put my big toe in the water, but it won’t be my whole foot and a bunch of acres.”

A Checklist For Reference This Winter

Here are additional highlights of recommendations Dowdy and Hula listed during their most recent Breaking Barriers With R&D podcast. These are not all-inclusive, but rather a starting point for farmers preparing for spring:

1. Soil and Fertility Basics

Lime and pH: Check pH by zone or grid. Apply lime only where pH is low. Avoid wasting inputs on ground at 6.5 or higher.
Manganese Alert: Watch for potential deficiencies in high pH spots (above 6.8).
P and K Strategy: Use recent soil tests to determine if Phosphorus can be reduced. Keep Potash a priority where base saturation justifies the spend.

2. The Planter Bar and Row Units

Parallel Arms: Inspect for “oblong” wear or side play. Replace any arms that aren’t tight.
Double-Disc Openers: Use a jig to check run-out. Only use blades that meet tight tolerances for a clean V-trench.
Gauge Wheels: Lift by hand. If they feel loose or drop instantly, adjust or replace the bushings and arms.
Alignment: Use a tape measure to verify every row is exactly on target (e.g., 30 inches). Ensure the toolbar is perfectly level front-to-back at operating height.

3. Seed Trench and Closing System

Centering: Run the planter across concrete. Ensure closing wheel marks are perfectly centered over the seed path.
Row Cleaners: Adjust “trash whippers” to move residue without gouging a deep furrow that could lead to erosion or crusting.

4. Seed and Meter Calibration

Match Seed to Meter: Generally, John Deere/ExactEmerge systems prefer rounds, while Precision Planting systems prefer flats.
The Meter Test: Replace worn belts and brushes. Calibrate meters annually on a test stand using your actual seed to determine the exact vacuum and speed settings.
The “Plateless” Warning: Avoid the temptation of cheap, mixed-size seed. If you use it, run a side-by-side strip against graded seed to measure the true cost of lost bushels.

5. Management Mindset

Miss Small: This is the year for calculated risks. Put your “big toe” in the water with new tech, but don’t commit the whole farm until you see a proven ROI on your own soil.
Check Strips: Always leave a clean, untreated check strip when trying new products for evaluation.

Hear the latest Breaking Barriers With R&D to learn more about Hula and Dowdy’s recommendations at Farm Journal TV and the YouTube link below.

HERMON Offers Farmers Fresh Hope In The War On Weeds

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:30:47 GMT

Herbicide-resistant weeds aren’t just a here-and-there nuisance in the Midwest anymore. From herbicide-resistant waterhemp to Palmer amaranth (pigweed), ragweed and ryegrass, more farmers are seeing them and finding they can shrug off nearly anything sprayed to control them. That’s the reality the new HERMON project is built around.

HERMON stands for Herbicide Resistance Monitoring Network. It’s a multi-state effort funded by a United Soybean Board grant and led by Eric Patterson, Michigan State University weed geneticist.

The idea is to connect farmers, university weed scientists, and diagnostic labs in a way that finds herbicide resistance in weeds sooner, figures out what’s contributing to it, and turns those insights into useful recommendations to help farmers address the problem in their fields before it gets totally out of hand.

Moving Beyond The Gold Standard

Patterson says that until now, the way resistance was confirmed has been slow and clunky. It usually starts when a farmer spots a patch of weed escapes and suspects something more than a sprayer skip.

“You’re looking at plants coming [into a lab] in the fall, getting screened all winter long, and growers not having the results until the spring,” Patterson says. “Growers [are] already putting out pres when they’re learning about what resistance they have in their field.”

Patterson calls that traditional “whole-plant greenhouse work” the gold standard for the industry, and he’s not looking to throw it out. But HERMON is providing faster testing methods and results in addition to that, so farmers aren’t always waiting months for answers.

One of the big tools weed scientists are leaning on is DNA testing. Any time a weed evolves resistance, there’s some sort of change in its DNA. If researchers know what mutation to look for, they can test for that directly.

“If we can do enough research and know what all of those mutations are, we could technically just screen for those mutations and use that as a proxy or as a marker that that plant is likely to be resistant,” Patterson explains.

The DNA testing already works well for certain types of resistance, he adds, like for Group 2 ALS (acetolactate synthase) inhibitors and a lot of glyphosate-resistant waterhemp and Palmer amaranth.

“We know that target site for pretty much every major weed, so we can just sequence up that gene and it either comes back ‘yes or no,’” Patterson says.

However, DNA tests aren’t a perfect solution.

“We can usually confirm that something would be resistant, but we cannot confirm that it would be susceptible,” he says.

There can always be a new mutation or a different mechanism, especially with more complicated metabolic resistance. Still, DNA-based tests can often get an answer back in three or four weeks.

HERMON researchers are also working on other practical lab tests. One promising approach is called a leaf-disk assay.

“You take a little bit of a leaf [called a disk] and soak it in a herbicide, and then you can kind of monitor the health of that leaf, and you can compare that to a leaf disk that was not put in the herbicide,” Patterson says. Researchers use a camera or scanner to measure how green the disks stay. For contact herbicides like glufosinate and many PPOs, this can give a good read on whether a specific weed population is resistant.

“This is kind of the intermediate between going fully into DNA, but still being able to do something in the lab that helps you monitor things quickly,” Patterson says.

Breaking Down The Walls

HERMON bridges 10 land-grant universities across states like Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The goal is a transparent exchange of data and weed populations.

“We’re trying to share those resources with each other and not hoard them or sit on them,” Patterson notes. “I think there’s been many, many walls between different groups that if we can reduce those barriers, we can have better monitoring.”

Joe Ikley, North Dakota State University Extension weed specialist, has already seen the value of collaboration. By working with industry partners like BASF on a rapid test for PPO-resistant kochia, his team identified many resistant populations in a fraction of the time it might have taken before now.

“If we’d had to do this the old-fashioned way to find the mutation two years ago, we might be talking only 10 populations we know of versus a couple hundred,” Ikley says.

Proactive Management for the Future

Looking ahead, Patterson sees HERMON as a starting point for something that could be used across the U.S. “I kind of see HERMON as a test balloon to see if there is interest in a fully nationalized project where resistance monitoring becomes kind of an established thing that every state and every land-grant university contributes to,” he notes.

Sarah Lancaster says the opportunity to have a platform where weed specialists can share information across a state or area about resistant weed populations and their location could be a game changer for farmers.

As she puts it, if a Kansas farmer in one county knows there’s confirmed resistance just a county or two away, “[they’re] going to be more vigilant and more proactive” with herbicide selection, trait choices, and overall weed management, says Lancaster, Extension weed scientist at Kansas State University.

While HERMON offers hope that resistance can be addressed better and faster in the future, no one involved in the project is expecting to develop a miracle product that resets weed control. As Ikley jokes, “Silver bullets are for werewolves, not for weeds.” Instead, the goal is to tighten the loop between what farmers see in the field and what scientists can confirm in the lab, so growers get earlier warnings and better information to protect the herbicides they still have available.

Patterson notes that in corn, there are still several chemistries for farmers to move between. But soybeans don’t have that luxury.

Growers end up “putting a lot more pressure on PPO inhibitors, as well as some of the new traits that are coming out,” Patterson says. The scary question he and other researchers ask is, “What happens when there are no viable herbicides left, and how do you manage that?”

With help from HERMON, researchers hope to not have to answer that question anytime soon.

For additional insights on HERMON, check out the War Against Weeds podcast, featuring Patterson and hosts Sarah Lancaster and Joe Ikley. The podcast was promoted by GROW (Getting Rid of Weeds), a scientist-led network coordinating research to help farmers across the U.S. fight herbicide resistance.

End of an Era? Glufosinate's Tight Grip On Waterhemp Finally Breaks

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 19:55:10 GMT

For many farmers, glufosinate quietly became the last dependable post-emergence option to control tough broadleaf weeds like waterhemp in fields where glyphosate, ALS, PPO, and HPPD herbicides had already slipped in performance. Glufosinate’s “last herbicide standing” status is why what’s happening in Illinois now should grab your full attention.

University of Illinois weed scientist Patrick Tranel and his colleagues announced in December that they have confirmed several glufosinate-resistant waterhemp populations in Carroll County, in northern Illinois.

That confirmation is a big deal. Boiled down, what this means for Illinois farmers is stark: Every post-emergence herbicide available to control waterhemp in the state—seven different herbicide groups—is now compromised to some degree.

Tranel adds that some preemergence chemistries are also declining in efficacy. How that plays out in fields: he says pre herbicides that might once have provided four weeks of residual control now keep weeds in check for only three weeks.

“Let that set in for a moment,” he says. “That means we can’t just go out there and say, ‘Oh, I’m going to use this herbicide to control waterhemp.’ You might not have resistance in your field yet to that particular herbicide, but it’s out there in the state, and if you rely on that single post product, you are going to get resistance.”

Farmers in states outside Illinois aren’t off the hook, either. The problem of glufosinate-resistant waterhemp is suspected in at least six other states including Missouri, Indiana, Iowa , Nebraska, Ohio and Tennessee.

“ Missouri farmers are facing declining control of waterhemp with two of our most common post products—glufosinate and 2,4-D—and that continues going into 2026,” says Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri Extension weed scientist.

Why Waterhemp is a Driver Weed

Waterhemp is considered a “driver weed” for many row crop growers across the Midwest and South due to its ability to severely impact yields.

Yield Losses: Uncontrolled populations can cause extensive yield losses—up to 74% in corn and 56% in soybeans—according to research by Larry Steckel, University of Tennessee Extension weed scientist.
Dominance: In the 2025 Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) broadleaf crops weed survey, waterhemp surpassed Palmer amaranth (pigweed) as the most problematic weed.
Biological Challenge: The reasons for waterhemp’s dominance include prolific seed production (up to 1 million seeds/plant), season-long germination, rapid growth, dioecious nature (male/female plants for high genetic diversity), and widespread resistance to multiple herbicide sites of action (SOA).

One Of The Challenges: Subtle Resistance and Regrowth

Tranel calls what Illinois researchers are seeing the early stages of resistance evolution. Critically, what they observe isn’t the obvious kind of resistance where the herbicide does nothing. This low-level resistance makes it difficult to detect in the field.

“It looks the same as what the symptomology looks like on a glufosinate-sensitive plant, except not as severe… you’re going to see that burning, but you’re not going to see the continued progression of that control,” Tranel says. “You’re going to start seeing regrowth.”

In Illinois field trials, resistant plants were sprayed small, with full rates, under near-perfect conditions (hot, humid, sunny, with ample soil moisture), and still, some waterhemp survived.

Tranel’s research suggests some resistant plants may be able to detoxify glufosinate faster at higher temperatures:

“We saw actually worse control of the resistant population under higher temperatures… we think that’s because the resistant population is able to metabolize or detoxify the glufosinate, and at higher temperature it’s able to do that faster,” he says.

Bradley agrees, reporting similar scenarios in Missouri. This low-level resistance can be easily confused with application issues, which makes confirmation difficult. Farmers often report poor glufosinate control due to weeds that were too big, poor spray coverage under a canopy, or less-than-ideal temperature and humidity.

“It can be difficult to distinguish between, ‘Do I really have a resistant population, or was my application not quite right?'" Tranel explains.

The Harsh Reality: No Chemical Safety Net Left

The urgent message for farmers is that they can no longer rely on any single product to deliver control of waterhemp and other tough weeds. Furthermore, the old rule of simply rotating sites of action is no longer sufficient.

“Fifteen years ago, almost all our resistance was due to target site change,” Tranel explains. “All the new mechanisms we’ve discovered in the last 15 years have been due to mechanisms other than a target site change.”

This shift in the plant’s biology means that merely switching group numbers will not keep growers ahead of waterhemp for long.

“You can’t manage chemical resistance with chemicals,” Tranel says. “We cannot exclusively rely on herbicides like we have been able to do in past decades.”

Strategies for the Long Haul: Don’t Cut Weed Control Rates

Farmers face going into the 2026 season with paper-thin margins. During a recent farmer panel discussion, Kevin Bradley asked several high-yield Missouri growers what keeps them up at night.

“Every single one of them said input prices,” he recalls. “Many of our growers are just doing what they believe they have to do to be able to stay on their land and farm. The problem is we are just seeing more performance failures with our post herbicide products that we rely on now,” he adds.

Bradley and Tranel are concerned about farmers choosing to trim herbicide programs. They both strongly recommend that farmers use full rates of herbicides, especially in fields with tough weed issues. Cutting herbicide rates will save few if any dollars.

“With glufosinate, we’re talking pennies between lower and full rates. It’s not going to be a whole lot of money to get better control of weeds and prevent them going to seed,” Bradley says.

Diversify and Aim for Zero Seed

Glufosinate must be treated like a valuable resource. The weed scientists encourage farmers to protect it by making every application as effective as possible and reducing the number of weeds it has to kill. Key practices they recommend include:

Use Multiple Products: Tranel advises against leaning on a single post-emergence herbicide. Instead, “use two or more, either tank mixed or in sequence,” and use an overlapping residual.
Integrate Non-Chemical Tools: Practices like using cover crops that produce significant biomass can suppress waterhemp and other weeds, reducing the number of weeds that ever see a spray pass. New technologies such as weed zappers, harvest weed-seed management products, and weed flamers are also gaining traction. As these options prove viable, they give producers additional tools to the current chemical options for weed control, notes Matthew Woolard, WSSA Science Policy Fellow and Texas Tech University graduate assistant.
Have a ‘Zero-Seed’ Goal: The ultimate long-term strategy is to deplete the soil seed bank. “At the end of the growing season, if you don’t have a weed going to seed, you’re not going to get evolution of resistance,” Tranel says. Achieving this goal will reduce pressure on your herbicide program.

Tranel says he sometimes ponders where the farming community would be today with regard to weeds if glyphosate had been stewarded better. It’s a lesson he hopes row crop growers take to heart.

“Glufosinate might be the best thing we have for the next 10 years. How can we make sure we can keep using it for the next 10 years?” Tranel says.

The answer is not more glufosinate use on its own. Better systems—using multiple SOA products, more crop diversity, more scouting, and allowing fewer escapes to go to seed—can help keep the chemistry in play.

Bottom line: The clock on glufosinate is already ticking down, and how fast it runs out is now largely in farmers’ hands.

Beyond Bushels: Align High-Yield Strategies With Your Crop Budget

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 20:30:45 GMT

A practical crop budget can serve as a valuable farming playbook, offering essential direction and guidance from planting through harvest, according to farmers and business partners David Hula and Randy Dowdy.

“Return on Investment (ROI) is the primary focus for the year ahead,” says Dowdy, who farms near Valdosta, Ga. “Everybody is trying to figure out how to survive this lean time, because we don’t have $8 corn or $15 beans.”

Start The Season Strong

For Hula, the strategy for achieving both high yields and ROI begins with selecting the right hybrids and using excellent planting practices, followed by consistent nutrition.

“You want to feel optimistic that you’re going to have high yield potential starting out,” he says. “Then, you need to make sure the crop has all the groceries it needs, because if it runs out of juice at any one time, you’ve just hit the minus button.”

Power Of Finishing The Crop

Hula highlights that another critical component of maximizing ROI, even in current tight markets, is finishing the crop well.

He shares that despite having a challenging growing season this year, his dryland acres achieved their third-best farmgate average. He attributes that to ensuring the crop received the necessary resources late in the season, especially a fungicide application.

“We felt pretty confident [the crop] was going to deliver... and that was mostly because we finished it well. We were picking 66.7 to 67 pounds test weight corn at harvest,” reports Hula, who is based near Charles City, Va.

“Finishing the crop is by far where a lot of people leave a lot of yield on the table,” adds Dowdy.

Use ‘Bushels’ To Track Costs

The current market outlook for 2026 necessitates a sharp focus on expense management, Dowdy notes.

“Obviously servicing debt is still on everybody’s mind. A farmer should never cut out anything that he or she knows makes money. But the problem is sometimes they don’t always know what that is,” he says.

When planning the budget, Hula urges growers to shift their perspective away from the cost of the input and toward the bushel return needed to justify it.

He offers, as an example: “For me to do in-furrow, that requires seven bushels. If I’m not going to get a seven-bushel return per acre, I’m not going to do it.”

Hula believes the bushel ROI mindset should be applied to all inputs. By framing decisions in terms of bushels rather than dollars, he says growers can more easily see the economic impact of each investment they make.

Make Every Input Pay Its Way

Hula and Dowdy are spending significant time this winter consulting with growers on budget strategies through their business, Total Acre . In many cases, they are stressing the importance of refining in-season input applications to make them more efficient, rather than cutting them completely.

“We can keep some of the in-season applications and make them more efficient by placement,” Dowdy says. “The goal is not merely to cut costs, but to find better, more efficient ways to invest money that directly leads to a higher ROI.”

Dowdy and Hula discuss their budgeting recommendations in more detail in their latest Breaking Barriers With R&D podcast discussion on Farm Journal TV and YouTube via the link here:

You can also hear Hula and Dowdy’s latest discussion on AgriTalk here:

Maximize Yields and Savings with Proven Nutrient Strategies

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:08:37 GMT

The outlook for fertilizer costs versus commodity prices for next season is a tough one for corn and soybean growers across the country.
With that fact in mind, we have compiled a number of our “best of” nutrient stories from 2025 for your consideration.

Our hope is one or more of the following five articles will help you reduce expenses, reallocate resources and build a solid fertility program for the 2026 that works well for your crops and gives you some peace of mind in the process.

26 Ways To Cut Costs Without Sacrificing Yields
If you made deep cuts to your fertility program this season, are you considering whether you can cut even deeper next year?

If so, be sure to check out this article: 26 Ideas To Cut Fertilizer Costs In 2026 . It offers a variety of suggestions from agronomists and other farmers on where you might be able to reduce product use and reallocate resources.

While there are no easy answers to address the cost of fertilizer and other inputs, having conversations with your suppliers and financial providers now can help you leverage your buying power and minimize potential impacts from marketplace uncertainties. For more insights, check out this article: Navigate 2026 Input Costs with A Proactive Strategy .

Reallocate Nutrients And Still Support Yields
Farmers know that nitrogen is the main gas that fuels corn yields. Other macronutrients and micronutrients such as zinc, iron, and manganese also contribute to yield performance. Be sure to check out our article 300-Bu. Corn Has a Big Appetite for N, P and K to learn more.

If you’re looking specifically at how to make phosphorus more efficient, be sure to check out our Farm Journal Test Plot article on the topic: 7 Tips To Make Your Phosphorus Work For You

Every agronomist says to soil test your fields to make sure they are up to the challenge of delivering profitable yields in the most cost-effective way possible. While you’ve probably heard that advice a thousand times, it’s still valuable.That’s where this article comes into play, which features national corn yield champions’ perspective: In This High-Stakes Farming Economy, Some Practices Still Deliver ROI

For even more ideas on how to create a fertility plan best-suited to your needs, check out:

The 4Rs of Fertility
Focus on fertility to prevent pollution and boost profits.

The Challenge of Nitrogen
In your quest for high yields, nothing is more crucial, or more difficult, than managing corn’s most important nutrient.

A Moving Target
Preventing corn from going hungry requires balancing nitrogen and other factors, from year to year and field to field.

The Great Escape
Stabilizers and controlled-release products help keep the Houdini of nutrients where your crop needs it.

In the “Lime” Light
Correct acidity to create diverse microbial populations, which decompose residue and release soil nutrients.

Potassium Insight
Drought emphasizes the value of this vital nutrient.

Four Strategies To Save Money On Herbicides Without Sacrificing Weed Control

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 18:17:53 GMT

If the 2025 season felt like the “same old, same old” for your weed control program — it shouldn’t. When farmers have the mindset that every year is just like the last, it’s easy to fall into the decision paralysis of: “It worked OK last year, so I’ll just do the same thing again.” That approach can leave money on the table and weeds in the field, reports Meaghan Anderson, Iowa State University Extension field agronomist.

She says the ongoing battle with broadleaf weeds and grasses should encourage farmers to re‑evaluate their control program for next season, especially in fields that ended up weedier than expected.

Start With Your Weediest Field
Anderson says a useful exercise right now is to ask yourself: What was my weediest field this year—and why?

“Most corn and soybean growers can point to at least one field that stood out,” she tells Farm Journal. “In many cases, the same herbicide program was used across multiple fields, but it failed in that one.”

Anderson says that’s a clear signal something needs to change in that field for next year—whether that’s:

Using a stiffer preemergence program
Spiking a premix with more active ingredient effective on key weed escapes
Adjusting your application timing or adding layered residuals

“Dollars invested in a strong preemergent herbicide, especially in known problem fields, is almost always an investment that pays for itself,” she adds.

Other key considerations for the 2026 season: If grass weeds were a problem this year, consider whether you could benefit from using products more targeted to specific species. Also, plan to monitor fields ahead of post applications to catch weed escapes early.

Three Specific Issues To Look For Next Season
1. Expect more volunteer corn. Some fields in Iowa and other Midwest states were “carpeted” with dropped ears of corn by harvest time this fall, Anderson says.

Two questions she says farmers who had a lot of ear loss can benefit thinking through are: How much corn hit the ground but didn’t germinate this fall? How much will survive this winter and emerge next spring?

“We’ve seen this movie before — volunteer corn can quickly become a major issue if it’s not addressed,” Anderson says.

2. Winter annuals are prevalent. Anderson notes that winter annuals like henbit, marestail, and pennycress had an excellent start in soybean stubble this fall. Where fields looked green late into the fall, farmers can expect to see them show up again next spring and will want to be proactive early with control measures:

Aim for late March to early April burndown applications (spray even earlier if it’s an unusually warm spring).
Wait until plants are green and actively photosynthesizing, with day and night temperatures warm enough for good herbicide activity.

Timing control measures can be a bit tricky. “By the time winter annuals are flowering in the spring, it’s usually too late for effective control,” Anderson notes.

3. Look for herbicide-resistant weeds. Cross-resistant and multiple-resistant Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, Italian ryegrass, barnyardgrass, and others are on the rise in row crops, researchers report.

Just this month, dicamba-resistant waterhemp was confirmed in Missouri, according to Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri Extension weed scientist.

Where To Spend Money If Margins Are Tight
With the outlook for high input costs and lower commodity prices, the impulse for farmers is to cut their herbicide spend across the board.
Anderson says a better strategy would be to shift investment from products to planning and scouting. She offers four recommendations that can help improve your weed-control ROI next season:

Spend more time scouting and truly understanding which fields are your problem acres.
Do the math on herbicide programs, compare prices, and tailor rates and products to field history and weed spectrum.
Consider using a full residual + strong post program on your worst fields.
Pull back some where fields are consistently clean and not building a weed seed bank.

This approach doesn’t necessarily slash costs per acre dramatically, but it can chip away at your total herbicide program costs without sacrificing control—or future profitability, Anderson says.

She adds that “thoughtful analysis, targeted programs, and timely applications are the real ‘new chemistry’ most farms need” going into the 2026 season.