Total Weed Control Calls For Years Of Planning by Leon J. Wrage guideline*. routed, follow-upCrcatmcnt* Sooth Dakota The sound basis of the total arc required for several State University farm weed control concept is years to prevent rein* Total farm weed control evidenced by the similarity restation form viable seeds is it Just a theory? Does it of its underlying principles | n the soil, have practical application? to the principles of most Total farm weed control Is it possible or impossible? noxious weed control requires control of all weeds The concept may seem programs. on the farm. Yield losses can idealistic; however, many of Effective noxious weed be prevented by eliminating the principles are practiced control programs are an perennial sow thistle from a each year. Whether planned excellent example of the field, but an end to the or unplanned as part of a fatal farm weed control problem is never reached if total weed control program, concept. In fact, total the field is re-infested from weed control has progressed noxious weed control ex- thistle seeds produced in toward this objective. tends far beyond individual adjacent fencerows Many "tools” for total farm boundaries. Control Or there are less long-term farm weed control are now must be initiated in an entire benefits if Canada thistle available. Chemical and neighborhood. Successes in from a neighbor ‘‘seeds cultural weed control the noxious weed program down” fields where the methods are outlined in state demonstrate the soundness thistles have been recommendations for vir- of the concept. Failures eliminated. Numerous tually every area. emphasize the need for total examples can be cited where Many of the control control. hard-to-control perennial procedures are widely ac- Total farm weed control noxious weeds like leafy cepted. However, the season-long efforts, spurge have been eradicated practices are usually Control for just part of the on several adjacent farms initiated on an individual growing season when crops even on a township basis, weed problem or crop grown is not suf- Total farm weed control situation basis and less «cient. Season-long pressure utilizes all available weed frequently considered in a must be exerted on the weed, control practices. Effective package program. Why? Deep-rooted perennial perennial weed control Direct losses in the un- noxious weeds must be programs include mediate crop are considered suppressed with herbicides chemicals, crop competition more significant than longer m the growing crop. After an( j cultivation. Stands can term effects. cr °P harvest, tillage or a he eliminated in noncrop Some weed problems, combination of tillage and areas with spot treatment of especially in certain herbicided is needed until semi-selective herbicides situations, are difficult to freezeup if stands are to iuc e TBA, picloram, fenac deal with. Time and capital be reduced. and high rates of Banvel. available on a short-term Total farm weed control Herbicides such as 2,4-D basis is a factor. Other requires control efforts for MCPA and lower rates of aspects of the farm more than one year. Deep- Banvel are useful to sup operation must be con- rooted perennials in press the weeds in growing sidered in making decisions, cropland cannot be crops. These may override what eliminated in a single Cultivation or a coin might be the best decision season. A program for bination of cultivation and regarding weed control. sever al years must be chemicals prior to and Still, the total farm weed planned and carried out if following crop harvest control concept has merit. s to be effective. Even further weaknes the plants. The principles are useful after the original stand is These systems have reduced New Idea’s Uni-Forage Harvester Superchopper chops 15% more. Same Uni interchangeability and rugged depend ability in a bigger capacity forage harvester. You’d better have enough forage boxes around when you use Uni Superchopper. When there’s chopping to be done, here’s the seff-propelled forage harvester more farmers use than any other. Now with more reliability, more See Uni-Forage Harvester —the Superchopper at A C. HEISEY FARM MILLER EQUIPMENT UMBERGERS MILL EQUIP. INC Bechtelsville RD4 RDI ph 215 845 2911 Lebanon (Fontana) Jonestown Ph 717 867-5161 Ph 717-865 4526 L L ECKROTH FARM EQUIP., INC New Ringgold Ph 717-943-2367 STANLEYS N.H. FLICKER " FARM SERVICE & SONS INC. STANLEY A KLOPPINC RD FARM SERVICE Maxatawny Bernville Klingerstown n , bethel Ph 215 683-7252 Ph 215 488 1500 Ph 717-648 2088 Ph 717 933-4114 convenience, more capacity. Plus the flexibility of Uni-System’s interchangeable gathering heads and harvesting units for small grain, beans and corn. The Superchopper is a smooth operating unit that will get your job done, hour after hour, day after day. stands of leafy spurge, field bindweed and Canada thistle by over 90 percent in three years. Total farm weed control attaches value to con trolling weeds - even though there is no direct economic loss associated with the existing stand. There may be less concern and often little or no economic losses associated with a patch of field bindweed in a field border. Yet, the potential yield reduction, control expenses and land value reduction should be con sidered when evaluating the merits of controlling the field bindweed patch. Eliminate Weed Seed Nurseries Noncropland areas such as fencelines, right-of-ways, drainage and irrigation ditches, trees, and waste areas are locations where weed seed nurseries flourish. Unless these are eliminated, the long-term payoff for weed control efforts will be diminished. Eliminating these sources of infestations is especially important with wind carried seeds such as thistles. Water and animals are other agents that may transport seeds into cultivated fields. A few scattered plants or even a single plant of some species can produce suf ficient seed to cause a very difficult problem in just one or two seasons. For exam ple, musk thistle plants may produce 40,000 seeds on a 1 single plant. Timely control is a must. Herbicides are usually the most effective control program for these areas. It’s difficult to mow or cultivate m many of these sites. Herbicides can be applied to fencelines with comparative ease - it just takes time. Proper applications of selective herbicides such as Banvel, 2, 4-D, silvex or 2,4, 5-T will control broadleaf species. After the un desirable species are con trolled, grasses will often flourish, providing vegetative cover which prevents erosion and provides competition to prevent reinfestation of undesirable vegetation. Undesirable broadleaf species were eliminated with recommended amounts of 2, 4D applied to the area in the second picture. Note the full stand of grass extends to the edge of the cultivated field. Annual herbicide ap plications are no longer required in such an area. This is success in achieving total weed control in that area. Small Grain Crop Progress Some of the most striking results toward achieving total farm weed control are associated with practices used in conjunction with the small grain crop. Early spring tillage before planting controls the first flush of weeds. Crop competition and herbicides are very effective in holding weeds in check in the growing crop. Post harvest tillage and herbicide applications can prevent seed production in the fall. Good cultural and ap proved production practices are important. Seed that is free of weed seeds should be used. Drill box surveys in dicate that almost 90 percent of the small grain seed samples tested contained weed seed. Small grains have a competitive ad vantage over annual grasses like green and yellow foxtail and wild oats early in the season. -Growers can select from Lancaster Farming. Saturday. May 3.1975 several herbicides that can be used alone or in com bination. The choice depends on the weed problems and the crop. MCPA and 2, 4-D control several broadleaf species. Banvel and bromoxynil provide im proved wild buckwheat control. Barban and triallate arc useful for wild oat control. Proper application of the broadleaf herbicides has given nearly 100 percent reduction in weed seed production in the grain crop. Wild buckwheat control with the more effective her bicides reduced the number of wild buckwheat seeds to 9 per pound of threshed spring wheat grain compared to 549 in the samples from un treated plots. Great strides toward total It'll burn fewer dollars with a Vent-O-Matic Watt-Watcher Package Fan THIS IS THE NEW VENT-O-MATIC WATT-WATCH , free repo spells out the details .tells you how the 1975 Vent-O-AAatic line can slash your electric bill while providing healthful, well balanced air flow. It includes actual per formance data on models of five major fan manufacturers. Vent-O-AAatic's reputa tion has been built on outstanding perform ance. Now Vent-O-AAatic Watt-Watchers deliver outstanding operating economy Send today for your free copy. 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