How to Plan for Product Shortages in 2022
Supply Issues – Two words that are coming to define the second half of 2021. Parts, fertilizer and now herbicide shortages are a major topic at coffee shops and kitchen tables. As growers continue to move forward with planning for the 2022 growing season shortages need to be managed. Media reports suggest that glyphosate and glufosinate products are some of the hardest hit and could be in very tight supply. Even if there is plenty of product come spring, the drastic increase is price is enough to make most people stop and think about revisiting the standard plan. Here are some things to consider before booking your herbicides for next season.
Know the weeds – It is important to accurately identify the weeds in the operation. This helps the chemical provider choose the correct herbicide to be successful. Grass or broadleaves? Winter, spring, or late summer annual? Few active ingredients are as broad spectrum as glyphosate or glufosinate. Talk to your provider about problem weeds for a more tailored approach to weed control.
Have options – For fields that have a history of serious weed pressure use products with multiple herbicide traits. Enlist E3® soybeans are tolerant to glyphosate, glufosinate, and 2,4-D choline while XtendFlex® soybeans include glyphosate, glufosinate, and dicamba tolerance traits. Jacobsen Seed’s lineup offers both trait packages for maximum flexibility. For corn, SmartStax® RIB Complete®, Agrisure Duracade® 5222 E-Z Refuge®, Agrisure 3220 EZ Refuge®, and Agrisure 3120A EZ Refuge® all offer combined glyphosate and glufosinate traits for additional post-emergence spraying options. Speak with your Jacobsen Seed Representative for top hybrids and varieties for your operation.
Mix things up – Make sure to be mixing things up by planning for multiple modes of action. This not only helps to manage resistance but also helps to make sure weed control is still covered even if one component is short. Many pre-mix products include a burndown component and residual component for wide control of emerged and yet to emerge weeds. It could be an easy way to secure some glyphosate or glufosinate! Speak with your chemical supplier about the availability and fit of pre-mixed products in your operation.
Layer Residuals – Keeping weeds from coming up in the first place! This is a great way to reduce reliance on broad spectrum products such as glyphosate or glufosinate. Full rates of pre-emergence herbicides paired with additional residual products in a post spray are also important parts of a strong weed management program.
Tillage – No-till scenarios bring a lot of great things to an operation. They can also require additional herbicide for control of winter annual broadleaves or cool season grasses tat emerge early in the season. Fields of heavy pressure should be given priority of allocated burndown products. If product can’t be acquired in appropriate amounts then tillage operations may need to be considered for a clean start. Remember, one year of escapes can cause a decade of additional struggles.
Follow instructions – The increased cost of herbicides and adjuvants as a whole may make it seem like a great time to cut corners. Don’t. The options for respraying are likely to be even more limited and expensive than the primary pass, not including any impacts to crop yield. Follow label directions on rates, additives, and weed size to reduce the chance of escapes or poor performance. If the likelihood of respraying is high, speak with your chemical provider about prepaying/booking that as well.