Late Soybean Spraying

Look at your fields. Determine what is going on. Many of the soybean fields are between R1 (beginning flowering) and R3 (beginning pod) growth stages. Are there too many insects, disease or weeds in your field? If so, review the information below to maintain a weed/insect/disease-free soybean field for better yields.

R-Stages for Soybean Growth

• R1 Stage soybean plant (beginning bloom)
• R2 Stage soybean plant (full bloom)
• R3 Stage soybean plant (beginning pod)
• R4 Stage soybean plant (full pod)
• R5 Stage soybean plant (beginning seed)
• R6 Stage soybean plant (full seed)
• R7 Stage soybean plant (beginning maturity)
• R8 Stage soybean plant (full maturity)

Scouting is the Key: When you want a great soybean crop….just continue to keep checking your fields. With the right amount of rain, fertilization and temperature, August is the time for soybeans to grow and your yield is determined now. Beans grow best in hot and dry conditions.

Fungicide use in soybeans is now the “Norm”. Foliar fungicides are being applied to many soybean fields. Expect larger than normal yields when controlling fungal growth, especially in the canopy area.  The best timing is R2 (full flower) to R3 (first pod) if you are only spraying one time.  If you are after white mold, spray twice, about 2 weeks apart, starting immediately.  Also, spraying Cobra will help reduce white mold issues, but spray that separate from fungicide. Foliar feeding with fungicide applications reduces the number of sprays. Read pesticide labels for spray timing and any other requirement for application of these mixtures.

Controlling insects: You don’t need many insects in a field to justify spraying. With a potential for high soybean yields and the insect pressure is high, use an insecticide to insure that yield. You can always throw in an insecticide while you are applying an herbicide or fungicide without any additional leaf burn to your soybean crop.

Glyphosate Herbicide sprays only allow 64 ounces…two 32-ounce sprays are max, so don’t overdo the glyphosate from a legal standpoint. Conventional weeding is an option you may need to employ.  Products like Harass, Flexstar, Cadet, and FirstRate are once again commonly used on soybean farms across the world because Roundup isn’t killing every broadleaf weed anymore.  However, these products will only control weeds up to 4 inches tall in most cases.  Follow pesticide labels for spraying and timing for applying herbicides.

Control Volunteer corn in soybeans. Volunteer corn can cut into yields and profits. You can tank-mix just about any volunteer corn herbicide while spraying for insecticides and/or fungicides.

Foliar fertilizer can help in Soybean yields. Let’s face it…..green is good. Plants are healthier when they are green and growing.   With foliar applied fertilizers, we get an advantage from the applied nutrients as well a better intake of soil nutrition. Foliar feeding during the reproductive stages has an additional benefit. The foliar application, through increased metabolism and better health sends a signal through the plant that it is “worthy of reproducing”.   The message sent to the plant is that it is healthy enough to retain more flowers and pods.

Pay attention to Pre-Harvest Intervals (PHI) while spraying beans late. Generally, Pre-harvest intervals (PHI) are usually not a big concern, but keep them in mind as you spray. Most insecticides and fungicides have a 30 day PHI, but many herbicides are 60 days.  Look at the attached chart for PHI label info for some soybean pesticides.

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When applying pesticide sprays, use HOOK, the multi-functional adjuvant and Mic-Ro-Pac 11-8-5 foliar spray with micronutrients. The combination of these products maximizes the pesticide and gives the advantages of reduced drift and more complete leaf wetting and sticking as well as a leaf activator and canopy penetrator. HOOK assists in getting the spray to the whole plant, not just the top leaf surface. Mic-Ro-Pac keeps plants healthy longer. These features help keep crops disease-free and healthy which translates to increased crop yields and profits.

Mic-Ro-Pac for Foliar feeding right after Alfalfa Final Cut:  The best time to foliar feed established alfalfa stands, grass stands or mixed grass-alfalfa is ASAP after harvest. Use Mic-Ro-Pac at the 3-qt/acre rate. This spray will green up the field and help growth during winter months, and it’s great to get micronutrients in there as well.

 A Clean Spray Rig can assure the next spray will not be contaminated. Herbicides lurk in spray rigs after spraying. Simple rinsing-out is not effective in removing residues. Clean the spray rig from top to bottom, inside and out, including the inside-top of the tank. Use a tank-hose from the rig and force water into the top and around any creases in the tank where herbicide residues may hide. Take off nozzles and tips to thoroughly clean. Change hoses if necessary. When the cleanup is complete, spray the final rinsate onto some sensitive plants and observe their health overnight. Keep pumps from freezing in the winter and grease bearings.

Choose WORK-HORSE as your tank cleaner of choice.   WORK-HORSE effectively cleans herbicides in your tank from top to bottom. Read the pesticide and Work-Horse labels for directions for use to maintain a spray tank free of contaminants during spray season and during winter tank storage.

Contact your local distributor or www.atlantic-pacificag.com to locate your nearest dealer.

CL #68 Late Soybean Spraying Online Version

Vol. 9 #2