Early Planted Soybeans: Start with a Good Foundation

In a recent research study, soybeans planted on March 25 took 122 days to mature, and on July 15, they took 83 days to mature.

📸: BASF internal photograph/Featuring progression of grown in early planted soybeans.

Every building needs to start with a good foundation. It's important to build your weed control program on a good foundation, especially for early-planted soybeans that take more days to reach maturity. 

Zidua PRO® herbicide at 6 oz. or Verdict® herbicide (5 oz.) + Outlook® herbicide (8 oz.) are great pre-emergence (PRE) options to give your soybean weed control a strong foundation for success.

📸: BASF internal photograph/Featuring the University of Nebraska plot chart showing the evolution of soybean planting by date.

Why is it important not to skimp on your PRE application?

1.  Using a short residual PRE herbicide greatly increases your likelihood of needing a third application. Your likelihood of having a "2 and done" weed control program is greatest with a good foundational PRE, especially if you layer in a residual like Outlook herbicide or Zidua herbicide with your POST application. That third application costs extra time, equipment, and fuel (or custom applicator expense) and is typically much less effective than a “2 and done” herbicide program.

📸: BASF internal photograph/Featuring soybean development by planting date (June, 2014).

2.  It’s about a window of opportunity and maximizing efficacy of POST applications. A longer residual herbicide applied before the crop emerges will give you a larger window to make an effective POST application. All it takes is a few rainy or windy days, and the waterhemp or Palmer pigweeds in your fields can grow bigger than your POST herbicide will effectively control. 

3.  It’s most effective to control weeds before they emerge. The larger a weed is, the more growing points it has, and the more difficult it is to control with a POST herbicide.  

📸: BASF internal photograph/Featuring evolution of weed size and density growth points.

4. Resistance is developing with key weed species that typically impact POST-herbicides more severely than residual herbicides. Residual herbicides should form the backbone of your weed control program for PRE and POST applications.

Experts are available to help you make your weed-control program. Reach out to your retailer, a nearby extension office agent, or your regional BASF representative. 

Always read and follow label directions. Zidua, Verdict and Outlook are registered trademark of BASF Corporation. All rights reserved. BASF ©2024.

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Endnotes 

• Sources: Bateman et al. 2020. Effects of Planting Date for Soybean Growth, Development, and Yield in the Southern USA. Agronomy 2020, 10(4),596; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10040596
• https://cropwatch.unl.edu/data-show-nebraskans-planting-soybeans-earlier-each-year