Weed control in soybeans begins with seed selection. The CROPLAN® soybean lineup offers various herbicide-tolerant traits. Enlist E3™ soybeans are popular for their tolerance to 2,4-D choline, glyphosate, and glufosinate, providing flexibility for weed control.
Managing Enlist E3 acres this season? Here are the key elements to consider.
1. Evaluate Your Weed Spectrum
The initial step involves assessing your weed spectrum. Weeds appear at various times, so it is important to identify what needs to be targeted and when. Winter annual weeds, such as Canada fleabane, emerge in the fall or early spring and must be controlled early in the season. For the Enlist™ system, it is important to apply a timely burndown or pre-emergence herbicide to control these weeds.
Warm-season annual weeds, such as waterhemp, require a different management approach. These weeds typically do not emerge until after the usual spring burndown or early-season postemergence timing, and you will need to plan a mid-season application around late June. This may involve considering the combination of Enlist with glufosinate.
The effectiveness of your weed control program largely depends on the specific weed spectrum present in your fields. It is important to carefully monitor and align your Enlist applications with the appropriate weed growth timings to maximize their potential effectiveness.
2. Set Your Herbicide Timing
Once you know your weed spectrum, you can start thinking about when you’ll apply Enlist and with which tank-mix partners. Here are a few examples:a. Spring burndown application
For effective control of winter annual weeds, consider applying a spring burndown. In the Enlist system, this tank mix commonly includes Enlist 1 combined with glyphosate plus a water conditioner. When tank mixed with glyphosate or glufosinate, a water conditioner like Crimson® NG will help tie up any free cations for optimum performance.b. First post-emergence application
A popular tank mix for the first post-emergence application is Enlist 1 plus glyphosate. A water conditioner plus a drift-and-deposition aid are important adjuvants to consider including in this pass. For volunteer corn control, you can add a product like Anter® 360 Unpacked or Antler® herbicide. If adding one of these grass herbicides don’t forget the addition of the label required oil adjuvant.
With a product like StrikeLock® adjuvant, you can get both your drift control and oil component in one.
Be sure to use the highest labeled rate of Antler brands in order to overcome antagonism when tank mixed with 2,4-D. Don’t forget to add your oil adjuvant to ensure maximum performance of Antler brands.
c. Second post-emergence application
At this point you may be targeting waterhemp and other warm-season annuals. For this application, Enlist 1 plus glufosinate is an effective option. Again, for adjuvants it is important to include a water conditioner with AMS like Crimson NG. Consider drift reduction technology to decrease off target movement.3. Choose Your Adjuvant Package
With weed spectrum identified and herbicide timing set, it’s time to lock in your specific adjuvants. Many growers still overlook the importance of a quality adjuvant, but it is essential for maximizing herbicide effectiveness. Without the right adjuvant, performance can be disappointing.a. Water Conditioner
Crimson NG reduces hard water tie-up allowing your herbicide to remain effective when it hits its intended target. Glyphosate, glufosinate and volunteer corn herbicides (Group 1s), can also be impacted by water quality, so be sure of your water quality especially on the enlist acre.b. Drift and Deposition Aid
The Enlist system requires extra coarse droplets, which are larger than those typically run with flat fan nozzles. Therefore, it is important to include an adjuvant that improves coverage. LockTech™ adjuvants are excellent at reducing drift and improving coverage of the intended target. The more droplets you can get to the plant, sticking to the leaf and spreading across the surface, the better performance you’ll get from your herbicide program.
At the end of the day, when it comes down to a really great Enlist adjuvant package, consider the herbicide tank mix partners you’ve selected. Typically, a baseline of Crimson NG plus a LockTech adjuvant such as MasterLock® or StrikeLock adjuvant will do the trick.
Enlist E3 soybeans hold great performance potential. These recommendations aim to help you achieve successful weed control so you can get more from your genetic investment. To further refine your management plan, contact your local WinField® United Independent Ag Retailer.
