Herbicide-resistant weeds are a growing problem nationwide. A soil-applied adjuvant by CHS that improves the performance of preemergence herbicides can help keep yield-robbing weeds at bay.
Soiltrate™ is a soil and spray deposition agent that improves absorption and efficacy of soil-applied herbicides. The adjuvant reduces evaporation and enhances application effectiveness of herbicides by keeping active ingredients in the weed-kill zone longer.
Jerome Benish, an agronomist at CHS High Plains based in Yuma, Colo., says the best way to keep fields clean is not letting weeds emerge. He recommends a two-pass, over-lapping preemergence program with Soiltrate added to the tank mix to stop herbicide-resistant weeds in their tracks. Palmer amaranth, waterhemp and kochia are particularly hard to control, he says.
“Palmer amaranth is an amazing survivor. The only way we’ve found to control it is not letting it come up,” Benish says. “By applying a preemergence herbicide right before or after planting and then making another preemergence application before the first one fails, the idea is to start and stay clean until the crop canopies and can shade out late-germinating weeds.”
Most preemergence herbicides provide residual control of germinating weeds for about 30 days. Soiltrate extends residual control by five days to two weeks, Benish says.
Soiltrate also acts as a hedge against volatile weather, he adds. It usually takes a half-inch of rain to sufficiently activate preemergence herbicides, moving active ingredients to the depth of germinating weed seeds. Soiltrate provides extra time for needed rain to fall or for herbicide applications to happen if rain delays occur. It also reduces herbicide leaching after a downpour.
“It doesn’t matter where you farm, there are always challenging weather conditions,” says Steve Carlsen, director of proprietary products with CHS. “Whether the soil is too wet or too dry, Soiltrate is going to help herbicide active ingredients stay in the target zone longer to kill weeds.”
After years of fighting a losing battle against herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth and kochia, farmer Randy Wenger of Yuma started adding Soiltrate to preemergence herbicides in 2023 on Benish’s advice. Wenger couldn’t be happier with the results.
“The program we’re using now is keeping my fields clean. I’m impressed.”
Soiltrate costs about $4 to $6 per acre. Wenger says the return on investment is significant. Before using Soiltrate, he estimates spending $15 to $30 more per acre on postemergence applications trying to control weeds.
Learn more about Soiltrate.
