We had rain three of five days last week, for a total of between 1.2 and 1.5 inches. We still sit at zero acres planted as of May 1. Zero. No beans. No corn, with the exception of a little sweet corn.
This week doesn’t look to be as wet, but rain is in the forecast nearly every day. Even if the weather folks are half-right, we will still be too wet.
For several years prior to 2025, we applied little fall residual chemistry. However, last fall we decided to use a residue degrader product. Since we were making the trip, we found an inexpensive residual herbicide to hitch a ride. Right now, that’s looking like a good decision. Even so, the chemistry is running out of gas and weeds are starting to break through.
Priority: Weed control
Monday I was able to spray off three loads of herbicide. The third load may have been pushing it as rain began about 15 minutes after I got done. With the cool weather, we’ll have to wait a while to see whether it worked. Regardless, the residual chemistry for this year’s crop is now applied to those fields.
It is likely the glyphosate will work since it has a 30-minute rainfast. The broadleaf herbicides I was using should be good as well. It will enter through leaves, roots and shoots. I was also using fulvic acid as an adjuvant, and to help penetrate plant foliage. So far this spring, my focus has been on the few fields we didn’t treat in the fall and the two or three fields that have cover crops.
In other activities this week, I treated barn lots and graded the driveways. I had some extra herbicide mixed left over from the barn lots, I drove into a couple of fields to spray around irrigation pivot points only to see standing water. Not a whole lot else we can do.