By Chris Dervaric, Sylvite
Considering a pre-harvest burndown? Applying a harvest aid can help improve combining efficiency, but it’s not always the right move for every field.
Before making an application, start with two important steps: check in with your grain buyer to ensure it’s acceptable for your contract, and consult your Sylvite Agronomist to confirm whether a burndown is even necessary. In some cases, you may not need to spray at all.
When a burndown is recommended, common active ingredients used include glyphosate, saflufenacil, or diquat.
When to Spray
The correct timing is when:
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At least 90% of pods are fully brown, and
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Seeds inside detach easily from the pod when opened.
At this stage, neither pods nor seeds should contain green tissue.
Leaf drop alone should not be used as a guide for application.
Why Spray off a Field?
- To kill weeds (i.e., to make harvest easier so there are less weeds going through the machinery)
- To kill green soybean stems.
- To even up the maturity of the field; some parts of the field may be behind due to several reasons such as low fertility soil or drought.
- To avoid seed stain (if nightshade is present) during combining.
- To knock back perennial weeds such as perennial sow thistle.
Additional Considerations:
- Be aware of pre-harvest intervals (PHI).
- You need to choose the right herbicide for the weeds that are in your specific field.
- Consider adding Crimson NG to your generic glyphosate. This product ties up the cations in the water, allowing your glyphosate to have the maximum effect.
