COLLEGE PARK, Md. “He
that will not apply new remedies
must expect new evils.”
Spoken four centuries ago by
Francis Bacon, a British statesman
and philosopher, those words still
ring true today for Mid-Atlantic
area crop farmers coping with
triazine-resistant weeds such as
pigweed and lamb’s-quarters.
Some new products and tech
niques for dealing with old weed
problems have been shared by
Ronald L. Ritter, agronomy weed
control specialist for the Coopera
tive Extension Service, University
of Maryland at College Park.
Dr. Ritter was the leadoff
speaker during the 14th annual
Delmarva Com and Soybean Con
Speaker Lists New Products For Old Problems
ference, held Wednesday, Feb. 16,
in the Wicomico Youth and Civic
Center at Salisbury. More than
400 farmers and agribusiness rep
resentatives were in attendance.
Ritter reported that Broadstrike
is a new herbicide that is effective
against stubborn pests such as pig
weed, lambs quarters, and other
triazine-resistant weeds.
The new chemical is available
in package-mix formulation with
an established product such as
Dual to permit pre-emergence
application for season-long con
trol of a wide spectrum of weed
species.
The mix can be used in both
com and soybean fields. But it has
one weakness lack of good
morning-glory control.
Ritter reminded growers that a
Dual+atrazine package mix is
popular in the Mid-Atlantic area
for control of annual grasses and
yellow nutsedge in cornfields.
But last year, a new product,
Frontier, was introduced that pro
vides similar weed control. When
packaged in combination with
atrazine, it is sold under the trade
name. Guardsman.
The combination product gives
results similar to those of a Dua
-I+atrazine mix for broad-spectrum
control of grasses and broadleaf
weeds. However, it is suitable
only for use in fields planted to
com not soybeans.
Two other agrichemical pro-
Lancaster Farming. Saturday, Fabruary 26, 1994-C3
ducts are expected to be available
this year for weed control in corn
fields. They are Surpass made
by Zeneca Agricultural Products
and Harness Plus, from
Monsanto.
Actually, the two products are
identical, Ritter noted. And they
are similar to Frontier or Dual.
A new post-emergence chemi
cal, Tough, was introduced last
year for use in cornfields. And
indications are that it will be
priced about one-third lower than
in 1993.
Tough is a contact herbicide
that is effective against persistent
pests like pigweed, lambs quar
ters, and velvetleaf. It has tre
mendous activity on these and
other broadleaf weeds. And it is
not volatile, so it avoids the herbi
cide drift problems long asso
ciated with 2, 4-D.
Ritter issued a warning for
Chesapeake Bay Pact
(Continued from Page C 2)
USDA will;
Implement a new program, total
resource management on agricul
tural lands, USDA will direct its
agencies including the Soil
Conservation Service, Agricultur
al Stabilization and Conservation
Service, and extension service
to work with the Bay jurisdictions
to develop and implement this
planning process. It will provide
an integrated approach to farm
management featuring a wide
range of best management prac
tices to help farmers protect natur
al resources while maintaining
production goals.
• Develop innovative methods
and research to protect the Bay.
Work with the Chesapeake Bay
Program to spearhead research
crucial to providing farmers with
innovative methods to help protect
the Chesapeake Bay.
• Coordinate federal agricultur
al efforts on behalf of the Bay by
participating in various Bay Pro
gram committees.
• Cooperatively implement
federal and state agricultural pol
lution prevention programs to help
stop pollution before it starts.
• Secure appropriate funding
and staffing resources to carry out
Delmarva area farmers who used
Scepter for chemical weed control
last year in soybean fields.
Because of droughty conditions
last summer, there could be con
siderable carryover of Scepter. So
he advised farmers to plant soy
beans in those fields again this
year. Or, try to plant one of the
new hybrid com varieties that is
resistant to Scepter.
Ritter had a final comment
about two herbicides suitable for
weed control in soybean fields.
Gemini is a useful sulfonylurea
compound that is not likely to be
available after 1994. Canopy is a
new product that may be a suitable
replacement.
But Ritter intends to take a hard
look at Canopy’s performance
next year in University of Mary
land research plots to see if there
might be some injury to soybeans
planted on light, sandy soils.
its goals.
“A lot of good stewards already
working with the land are right
here in this room,” Lyons told the
conservation district members in
attendance during the signing.
“Good partnerships make for good
conservation.”
U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes
(D-Md.), who attended the agree
ment signing, said the USDA’s
new commitment to the Chesa
peake Bay restoration was import
ant to the effort’s success. “No
other federal agency can reach as
many landowners on the ground,”
he said, adding that the USDA
will bring to farmers not only a
knowledge of good conservation
and environmental practices, but
good economic practices as well.
The Chesapeake Bay Program
is the multigovemmental partner
ship that has been directing and
conducting the Chesapeake Bay
restoration since 1983. The
Chesapeake Bay Program in
cludes the states of Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and Virginia; Washing
ton, D.C.; the Chesapeake Bay
Commission, the U.S. Environ
mental Protection Agency repre
senting the federal government;
and participating citizens advisory
groups.