Friday June 17 Ag News

Flow meter installation training session to be held June 27

The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) Board of Directors approved changes to its Groundwater Management Area rules and regulations that now require LENRD approved flow meters on all active irrigation wells within the district by January 1, 2018.

LENRD Water Resources Specialist, Curt Becker, said, “This change also incorporates a certification process for flow meter installers, which requires anyone who wants to install a flow meter within the LENRD to attend an installation training session.”  The next training session will be held on Monday, June 27th, beginning at 3:00 p.m.  There will be five sessions held at the training, one session for each of the five types of approved flow meters.  Interested producers must attend the session for the meter they are planning to install.  The list of sessions can be found on the district’s website.  Additional training sessions will be held as needed.

Currently, the LENRD has approved five meters for installation.  A list of the approved meters as well as a list of the LENRD Certified Flow Meter Installation Contractors can also be found on the district’s website.  These contractors have already completed the required flow meter installation training.  Becker added, “If you do not want to become certified to install your own meter, you must select a certified installer from the list.  This list could change as additional contractors become certified by the LENRD and will be updated when necessary on the LENRD website.”

If you have any questions about the flow meter installation process, please contact Curt Becker at 402-371-7313 or email cbecker@lenrd.org



Groundwater Levels Rise 1.2 Feet on the Average in Upper Big Blue NRD
During May 2016, the NRD measured over 500 observation wells throughout the District and then averaged the data of all these wells.  Observation wells are measured in the spring of each year, allowing the water table to rebound from the previous irrigation season.  The observation wells measured are equally distributed geographically throughout the District to provide an accurate profile of the District average.

Overall, the spring 2016 average measurement for the groundwater level change shows a rise of 1.2 feet from last spring.  The findings show that the spring 2016 average groundwater level is 3.55 feet above the “Allocation Trigger”.  As a result, there will be no allocation restrictions for the 2017 irrigation season.

The District goal is to hold the average groundwater level to above the 1978 level.  In 2005, the District average groundwater level reached the “Reporting Trigger” initiating groundwater users to report annual groundwater use to the District and to certify their irrigated acres.  If the District average level falls below the 1978 level (“Allocation Trigger”), groundwater allocation will begin. 




Local Pork Producer to Address Nebraska School Nutritionists in Kearney

With growing concerns about antibiotic resistance, public perception about the use of antibiotics in food animals has called into question what’s best for the animal and our food supply. On Tuesday, June 28, members of the Nebraska School Nutrition Association meeting in Kearney for their State Conference will hear why responsible antibiotic use is essential to protect animal health and produce safe food. Nebraska Pork Producer Association past president and Hall of Fame Inductee Elwyn Fitzke of Fitzke Farms in Glenvil, Nebraska, will present to conference attendees at 10:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. at the Holiday Inn located at 110 S. Second Ave.

Titled “One Health and Pork,” the speech by Fitzke will explain how animal health and human health go hand-in-hand, and why responsible antibiotic use is a shared commitment by human and animal health professionals, and all farmers who raise food animals, from pigs and chickens to honey bees. “Just as in human medicine, we realize pig farmers and veterinarians play a role in maintaining the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations,” said Fitzke. “Pig farmers are committed to finding new ways to reduce the need for antibiotics and are working with our veterinarians to ensure responsible use.”

Fitzke notes farmers use science-based practices that include proper nutrition, modern barns and disease prevention to keep pigs healthy so they do not need costly medicines in the first place. “Antibiotics are only used if necessary, with veterinary oversight, to treat sick pigs or prevent illness,” says Fitzke. “It is unethical to withhold treatment.”

At the same time, farmers have made pork one of the leanest, nutrient-rich protein choices available, which was confirmed in 2006, when USDA released its study showing pork tenderloin is as lean as a skinless chicken breast. In 2011, the pork tnederloin was also certified by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy food. “I’d like to thank the Nebraska School Nutrition Association for giving me an opportunity to share why antibiotics used responsibly are essential for healthy pigs and safe food.”

Fitzke notes there are 68,000 pork producers in the United States and the industry generates more than a half million jobs and produces more than $21 billion in personal income each year.



Nebraska Cattlemen attend Elite Cattle Industry Conference

Representing Nebraska Cattlemen, Jennifer Leupp, Shannon Peterson and Joel Weber participated in the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's 2016 Young Cattlemen's Conference. Over 50 cattle producers from across the country and across the industry attended the conference. All three Nebraska participants were selected by fellow producers to participate in the 2016 class.

Jennifer Leupp, Ph.D. grew up on a cow-calf and small grains operation in southern Michigan. She is a beef nutritionist by trade, earning degrees from Heidelberg, Michigan State and North Dakota State Universities. After graduate school she started work with a feed company in Ohio then made her way to Overton, NE where she worked with Overton Veterinary Services as their nutritionist. Jennifer recently changed her career path and is the owner of Exposure Design & Consulting Group, LLC, an agency that not only services the area of feedlot and cow-calf nutrition, but also livestock marketing, photography and ad design based out of Overton, NE.

Jennifer is actively involved with youth and programs around the state. She is the Buffalo County 4-H Livestock Judging Team coach, NE Jr Red Angus advisor and Lexington Thunder 12U Fastpitch Team coach. She speaks at many youth programs and local schools about the benefits of beef and opportunities available in the industry. She is also involved with the Dawson County Cattlemen and Nebraska Cattlemen's Associations.

Jennifer is constantly on the move, but is able to maintain a few cows in Nebraska as well as Michigan with her sister. She is passionate about the beef industry and is blessed to have family and friends that surround her on this journey. 

Shannon Peterson and her husband Paul are the fourth generation on his family farm/ranch in south central Nebraska. They have two daughters, Savannah, age 14 and Emma, age 11 who help them out on the farm. They run an Angus cross cow-calf operation and have their own feedlot that feed out all of their own cattle. They also custom feed around 3,000 head of hogs every year. Along with the ranch they farm around 3,500 acres of corn, beans, wheat, and alfalfa all which is 100% no till. Shannon's day-to-day job is to help run the cow-calf operations. She also does all the processing and makes animal health decisions for the feedlot side of things.

Shannon graduated from the Nebraska Collage of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) as a licensed Veterinary Technician. Then in 2008, Shannon came back to work on the farm to help run the cattle side of the operation and help with the farming when she can.

Shannon has been serving on their local cattlemen's board for the last five years, and served as president for two of those years. The past two years she has helped to coordinate providing BEEF to all the schools in the county for a day. Each year they serve around 5,000 kids that day. In 2014 Shannon was elected onto the Nebraska Cattlemen's board as the Vice Chair of Member Services for Region 9.  Shannon has enjoyed meeting so many beef producers around the state with this position.

The Peterson family is very involved in 4-H and FFA. They raise show pigs and both of their girls show cattle and pigs throughout the summer along with many other projects that they do for fair. Shannon enjoys being able to spend time with family doing what they love.

Joel Weber of Dorchester, NE is co-owner and manager of Weber Feedyards, LLC. The operation consists of a commercial feedyard and row-crop irrigated farming in southeast Nebraska.

Joel grew up on the operation and is the fourth generation to operate the business. He has overseen the expansion of the feedyard in 2012 and again in 2015 to the current capacity of 9000 head.

Joel graduated from Dorchester High School in 1991 and from the University of Nebraska in 1995.  He married Amy Thiele in 2001 and together have three children: Christian, Jacob, and Sophia.

Much of the family's time is spent at kids' activities and Nebraska sporting events. The family enjoys 4-H, boating during the summer, and traveling. Joel and Amy pride themselves raising their kids with the same values from which they were raised.

NCBA's YCC program is an opportunity for these young leaders to gain an understanding of all aspects of the beef industry from pasture to plate, and showcase the industry's involvement in policy making, issues management, research, education and marketing.

Beginning at the NCBA headquarters in Denver, Colo., the group got an inside look at many of the issues affecting the beef industry and the work being done on both the state and national level to address these issues on behalf of the NCBA membership. While in Denver, participants were given an organizational overview of NCBA and the Beef Checkoff Program and CattleFax provided a comprehensive overview of the current cattle market and emerging trends. At Safeway, the participants received a first-hand account of the retail perspective of the beef business and then toured the JBS Five Rivers' Kuner feedyard, one of the largest in the nation, and the JBS Greeley packing and processing plant.

From Denver, the group traveled to Chicago where they visited McDonald's Campus and OSI, one of the nation's premiere beef patty producers. After the brief stop in Chicago, the group concluded their trip in Washington D.C., for an in-depth issues briefing on current policy issues including international trade and increasing environmental regulations. Following the issues update, the participants were given the opportunity to visit one-on-one with members of their state's congressional delegation, expressing their viewpoints regarding the beef industry and their cattle operations. John Deere then hosted a reception in the evening at their office.

The following morning, the group then traveled to Aldie, Va., for a tour and barbeque at Whitestone Farms, one of the nation's elite purebred Angus operations.

"If you have ever had any doubts about renewing your NCBA membership, trust me it is well worth the price! The cattle industry is dynamic and what NCBA does to promote the beef industry from pasture to plate through not only education and research, but a strong voice in Washington takes tremendous amounts of work, people and resources" says Leupp. "It was a privilege to represent Nebraska Cattlemen's on such a unique and inspiring trip and I look forward to serving my fellow beef producers in a greater capacity in the future."

"The 2016 NCBA YCC was a great experience that I truly enjoyed.  It was great to meet and become friends with many different people all involved with BEEF from all over the United States" state Peterson. "I am thankful for the opportunity to have attended the Young Cattlemen's Conference.  It was a great learning experience."

"YCC allowed me to meet and interact with tomorrow's leaders in our industry" said Weber. "The exposure we had to training, interaction with representatives of world wide beef producers, and a chance to participate in the politics of Washington DC gave us an experience that wouldn't be possible to duplicate. Gaining a better understanding of NCBA and how they work to move our industry forward world-wide is what makes me confident I am in the right business and we have a great future ahead of us."

With the beef industry changing rapidly, identifying and educating leaders has never been so important. As a grassroots trade association representing the beef industry the NCBA is proud to play a role in that process and its future success. Over 1,000 cattlemen and women have graduated from the YCC program since its inception in 1980. Many of these alumni have gone to serve in state and national committees, councils and boards. YCC is the cornerstone of leadership training in the cattle industry. 



Lack of EU Regulatory Decision Impacts U.S. Agriculture

The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) is disappointed by the European Commission’s failure to authorize biotech soybean events within a reasonable amount of time and is committed to try to help move the process forward.

USSEC is organizing two separate delegations to Brussels over the next couple of weeks which will have U.S. farmers as well as those from other countries meeting with EU officials to encourage them to move the approval process forward. USSEC staff organized numerous meetings with EU Officials and Industry Members to take place during these Missions. 

USSEC Vice Chairman and farmer from Belden, Nebraska Jim Miller is counting on the delegations to be successful: “My fellow farmers and I need access to the latest technology in order to produce as efficiently as possible to feed the growing world’s demand – I’m worried that if approval is made difficult by governments like the EU that our access to new technology will diminish,” Miller states. “This would be a bad thing for all growers initially and then all consumers around the world as Ag supplies tighten.”

USSEC represents the interests of U.S. soybean producers, commodity shippers, merchandisers, allied agribusinesses and agricultural organizations in international markets. A key focus of the organization is international market access issues such as biotech approvals.

Since January 2016, USSEC has been very active on behalf of the U.S. Soy industry to encourage appropriate European officials to demonstrate their functional regulatory procedures by approving for import the three soybean traits awaiting final action by the European Commission. These three products, which were developed by Bayer and Monsanto, have successfully moved through all required evaluations and have received a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as well as completed the committee process within the European Commission. Over the past five months, USSEC has been told by representatives of the European Commission that draft authorizing decisions are at the final stage of the procedure and approval would proceed in line with the European Commission’s pledge to authorize those biotech events, which have received positive EFSA opinions within a reasonable timeline. However, this approval has not yet been received.

In January 2016, the European ombudsman found the European Commission was guilty of “maladministration” from 2012 to 2014 because of the commission’s delay in final authorization of biotech events exceeding 3.5 months. By this yardstick, the European Commission is once again guilty of maladministration by failing to authorize these three products.

Engagement with the European Commission is regular and ongoing. On June 7, USSEC once again formally called for the European Commission to issue final authorization for the soybean traits in a letter sent to leaders there. This was the third such written communication conducted this spring.

Jim Sutter, USSEC CEO, says, “Monitoring all of the issues in this space is time consuming but critical – we need to stick to our principles and continue to communicate for as long as it takes.”

In a white paper developed by USSEC and the other members of the International Soy Growers Alliance (an alliance of growers from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Paraguay, Uruguay and the U.S.) in 2015, it was stated that delays in approvals of new biotech events has the potential to cost consumers and producers of soybeans collectively $19 billion over the next ten years.

USSEC is taking the long view in trying to work with industry and governments to improve understanding and approval processes so as to minimize this additional cost in the future. USSEC is focused on trying to help the approval process work so that the efficiencies of the agriculture trading system can be left to operate normally. All parties involved benefit from the lack of potential for trade disruptions due to the presence of unapproved varieties.

Sutter states, “USSEC’s goal is to differentiate and build preference for U.S. Soy while also ensuring market access for U.S. Soy. We work with many partners and we talk about the need to provide choice and to allow U.S. growers the freedom to operate. Lots of balls to keep in the air, but a nice upward trend in overall U.S. Soy exports gives us confidence that our efforts are paying off.”

On behalf of U.S. soybean farmers and industry, Miller calls for action by the EU Commission. “The unexpected delay in final authorizations has created uncertainty, disruption and cost for the U.S. Soy industry. In order to avoid greater interference in trade, the authorizations must occur very soon.” Miller continues, “While the sort of work conducted by USSEC may be frustrating and slow, it is of critical importance and really makes a difference for U.S. soybean farmers and the U.S. Soy industry.”



NCGA Corn Board Elects Kevin Skunes as Next Farmer to Help Lead Organization
   
The National Corn Growers Association's Corn Board has elected Kevin Skunes of North Dakota to become the organization's first vice president for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

"I am deeply honored that my colleagues on the board chose to place their trust in my capability and commitment to leading our association forward as we work to create greater opportunities for corn growers across the country," said Skunes. "We understand our farmers face a growing number of challenges. Working together as an industry and with regulators and legislators in Washington, we must grow markets through trade agreements, a return to statutory RVO levels outlined in the RFS while combatting the proliferation of regulations impacting U.S. farmers. I look forward to working with our grower leadership over the coming years to find innovative, impactful ways to grow the demand for our growing crop."

Skunes his wife, Betty, and their two sons farm 4,900 acres of corn and soybeans in Cass County, N.D.

On the national level, Skunes serves as the board liaison to NCGA's Grower Service Action Team and as the association's representations to the National Pork Producers Council. Previously, he served as the Corn Board liaison to NCGA's Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team, on the Association Relations Committee and on the Finance Committee. He served as a member of NCGA's Ethanol and Finance Committees prior to election to the Corn Board.

"NCGA's success can be attributed, in large part, to the quality of farmers who have stepped forward to lead the organization, and we strongly believe that Kevin will continue this fine tradition," said NCGA President Chip Bowling. "Our Corn Board appreciates the energy he brings to our work and the thoughtful insights he contributes to our discussions. Skunes continually demonstrates his dedication to farmers and his willingness to work tirelessly on their behalf."

On Oct. 1, Bowling, of Maryland, becomes chairman and the current first vice president, Wesley Spurlock of Texas, becomes NCGA president. In October 2017, Spurlock becomes chairman and Skunes becomes president.



LAWMAKERS ASK USDA FOR INFORMATION ON PENDING GIPSA REGUALTIONS

Reps. David Rouzer, R-N.C., and Jim Costa, D-Calif., the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture this week asked Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for information on USDA’s pending regulations related to marketing livestock and poultry. The regulations are ones previous included in the agency’s so-called GIPSA rule proposed in mid-2010; they were blocked from implementation by Congress through USDA’s fiscal 2012-2015 funding bills.

In a June 14 letter to Vilsack, Rouzer and Costa requested a status report on the pending regulations, an explanation for why USDA isn’t doing a “thorough, updated” economic analysis of the regulations through the agency’s Office of the Chief Economist – GIPSA is doing an analysis – an account of any USDA outreach to stakeholders since Oct. 1, 2015, and the rationale for finalizing parts of the original GIPSA rule rather than reproposing all the provisions as part of a new rulemaking process.

The lawmakers pointed out that a prohibition on implementing the regulations included in USDA’s fiscal 2017 appropriations bill likely will be enacted but said if the agency does move forward with finalizing the regulations, stakeholders need time to analyze and respond to them. They asked the secretary for at least a 180-day comment period on the regulations.



DYK Beef Promotion Shorts

Did you know ... early results for consumer traffic to the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” website in 2016 are exceeding expectations? In the first six months of FY16, the site has already generated more than 1.5 million consumer visits, resulting in more than 1.6 million page views. These strong results stem from a strategic focus of efforts about topics and events that are timely and relevant to consumers. 

Did you know ... thanks to the checkoff’s Interactive Butcher Counter, now in its second year on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com, thousands of consumers have come to the checkoff to get answers to their beef-cut questions? In fact, since the start of fiscal 2016, more than 249,000 consumers have generated more than 360,000 page views at the Interactive Butcher Counter. With this popular tool, consumers can find an ideal beef cut for any occasion by clicking ‘explore the cuts,’ ‘guide me to the right cut,’ or by simply searching the name of a particular cut. The information received included recommended cooking methods, nutritional data, and delicious recipes using the cut. The Interactive Butcher Counter also is responsive, which means no matter what device the consumer is using (e.g. phone, tablet or desktop), they have the same great user experience.

To learn more about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.



Brazil Soy Area to Grow in 2016-17

A recent surge in Brazilian soybean prices will prompt farmers to substantially increase planted area in the upcoming 2016-17 season, consultants forecast.

Area will grow by 1.2 million acres to 2.5 million acres or more, confounding initial expectations that area would not expand significantly for the first time in nearly a decade, they said during the BM&FBovespa Agribusiness Perspectives seminar in Sao Paulo.

"Nobody can resist planting at these prices with farmers planting on pasture all over Brazil," said Anderson Galvao Gomes, grain analyst at Celeres, a local farm consultancy.

Soybean prices are at record levels, hitting R$98 per 60-kilogram bag ($12.74 per bushel) at Paranagua port (CIF) on Thursday. That's up 45% on a year ago.

In addition to the surge in international prices, domestic shortages following breakneck exports in the first half of the year have pushed domestic soybean prices sky high.

With leftover stocks now in the hands of well-capitalized farmers, Brazil will likely operate with sizeable price premiums for the rest of the year.

While prices have spiked, rises in production costs have been modest.

According to Agroconsult, a farm consultancy, the average production costs will rise just 5% in Sorriso, center-north Mato Grosso this year, reaching R$2,288 per hectare ($265 per acre), not including land costs.

Area only won't grow more because of limited availability of credit due to the ongoing crisis in Brazil and the financial problems of large groups that held substantial dollar-denominated debt ahead of last year's devaluation of the real.

It also won't grow more because of the problems of farmers in the expansion regions in the eastern Cerrado, which covers Maranhao, Tocantins, Piaui and Bahia states. Another year of drought caused losses totaling R$3 billion ($869 million) to farmers in the region and will force them to reduce planted area.

As a result, Brazil will only increase area by 2% (1.2 million acres) this year compared with 6% in 2014-15 and 3% last year, said Andre Pessoa, director of Agroconsult.

With summer corn area also likely to expand, soybean will grow mainly on pastureland, often in established grain areas.

"With farmers on the frontiers in problems and many large farms in difficulty, expansion will occur elsewhere," said Fernando Muraro, grain analyst at AgRural, who thinks area could grow by 2.5 million acres.

Similarly, corn prices are also at unprecedented levels after Brazil committed up to 60% of its second-crop for export and then suffered drought losses in Mato Grosso and the center-west.

In response, Brazil will likely increase its 2016-17 second-crop planted area by 2.5 million acres, or around 9%, said Agroconsult's Pessoa.

He sees total corn planted area rising 7% to 42.7 million acres in 2016-17.



EPA Says States Behind in Tackling Chesapeake Pollution Problems

(AP) -- States in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed have collectively fallen behind in implementing a plan to reduce nitrogen pollution in the country's largest estuary, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday.

Pennsylvania was mostly to blame in part because not all of its farms are using the best practices to prevent nitrogen runoff, which often comes from animal waste, according to EPA reports.

Excess levels of nitrogen in the bay can stimulate the overgrowth of algae, creating so-called "dead zones" that have too little oxygen to support wildlife. The EPA wants states in the watershed to implement 100 percent of a long-term pollution-reduction plan by 2025.

When it comes to nitrogen pollution, the agency said its goal of having 60 percent of the plan in place by 2017 will not be met. Instead, only about 46 percent of those strategies will have been employed.

Besides Pennsylvania, the states in the Chesapeake's watershed are Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia and West Virginia as well as the District of Columbia. The EPA's long-term plan also focuses on pollution from sediment and phosphorous, for which the states and the District will be on track to addressing in 2017.

Neil Shader, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, acknowledged in an email that "significant work remains" when it comes to addressing nitrogen. But he said Pennsylvania has made strides to address pollution in the watershed after "years of inaction by state leaders."

He said Pennsylvania is "committed to making progress toward 2025 goals for all pollutants."

In the wake of the EPA's report, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland praised his state's progress toward reducing nitrogen and phosphorus emissions from sewage plants.

"We have reached our target for nitrogen emissions from the wastewater sector much earlier than expected," said Cardin, a Democrat.

Rebecca LePrell, Virginia executive director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, also noted progress in her state but said it "cannot slow down its efforts."

"In fact, our biggest challenge lies ahead when it comes to reducing polluted runoff from cities and suburbs," she said in a statement. "The importance of strong state funding, regulatory oversight, and local leadership cannot be ignored."



Preparation Pays When Making Postemergence Herbicide Applications

Western Corn Belt growers can follow basic principles that will make their herbicide applications more effective, efficient and on-target. Paying attention to sprayer preparation, application and cleanup can offer substantial benefits.

Van Malter, an Enlist™ field specialist who works with growers in Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, shares a few important steps to save time, money and headaches. By preparing equipment before starting postemergence applications, growers can achieve better performance and value from the herbicides they apply.

Equipment preparation
When growers think about preparing for herbicide applications, they tend to think first about servicing the engine and cleaning the tank out. However, all aspects of their equipment deserve attention.

If a grower applies a burndown or a preemergence product, it’s essential to make sure all residue of that herbicide is flushed from the entire system before adding postemergence products. Residual herbicide residues from a preemergence application can cause damage to emerged crops.

Calibration is critical to ensure you’re delivering the right amount of herbicide to control weeds effectively without wasting product. Malter also urges growers to wear personal protective equipment whenever working with the sprayer.

Know when to go
“One of the first things to do before applying postemergence herbicides is to scout the field for weed species and size,” Malter says. ”This can help you determine which herbicide will be effective and what rate you need to apply.”

Timing is important for making the most positive impact with your postemergence herbicide application. Be aware of the crop stage and treat weeds when they’re small – preferably about 4-6 inches tall and actively growing. Monitor the weather and try to make applications in as timely a manner as possible. It’s best to limit weed competition quickly. When you do get into the field, keep the boom height at the lowest approved setting to minimize drift potential.

Of course, it’s important to choose herbicides that will control the weeds that are troubling a specific field. Malter urges growers to scout fields and identify the weeds they’re facing.

“Choose a weed resistance program that’s effective on the weeds that are showing up in your fields,” Malter says. “Make sure you use the appropriate rate for the size of weeds in the field. Read the label carefully and adhere to requirements. This will result in a more effective application and control of the key target weeds.”

He notes the Enlist™ weed control system will allow growers to use Enlist Duo® herbicide, which can help simplify postemergence application efforts. Enlist™ corn and Enlist soybeans are tolerant to Enlist Duo® herbicide – a combination of new 2,4-D choline and glyphosate. Enlist soybeans also are tolerant to glufosinate.

Enlist Duo herbicide offers other benefits. For instance, although it’s best to hit the application window, sometimes Mother Nature won’t cooperate. Enlist Duo herbicide offers some timing flexibility. In addition, Enlist Duo features Colex-D® technology, which provides near-zero volatility, minimized potential for physical drift, low odor and improved handling characteristics.

Select appropriate nozzles
An investment in new nozzles can be money well spent. Nozzles are not designed to last the lifetime of a sprayer. Each brand and model has a different effective lifespan. Make sure the nozzles you use are appropriate for the herbicide you’re applying. For instance, the label for Enlist Duo® herbicide lists 23 nozzles with approved spray pressure ranges.

Using the right nozzle and spray pressure can help lead to a quality herbicide application, Malter says. The wide range of nozzles that work with Enlist Duo herbicide means growers may be able to choose a nozzle type that works for multiple uses, which may save some time.

Cleaning sprayer equipment
Cleanup is extremely important to avoid unintentional contamination of your next chemical load. Herbicide residue in the sprayer is an underestimated avenue of off-target movement, Malter says. Follow product label directions on tank cleanout after herbicide application.

“After application, you need to drain the entire system and rinse the tank according to label directions,” Malter says. “Pay attention to pumps, screens, lines and any pooling areas such as the end caps on booms.” Neglecting these tiny spaces can lead to damage of susceptible crops when you enter another field.

Any time you’re applying any herbicide, be aware of neighboring crops and sensitive areas. Pay attention to wind speed and direction as well as adhering to product requirements such as buffer zones.

Growers can be more successful with a postemergence herbicide application when they: Prep their equipment, choose herbicides and nozzles carefully, monitor weather and growing conditions, and thoroughly clean all components of the sprayer. It can help save time and money while providing peace of mind.