Pre-em Timing

[Shutesy]

Got 70ac of wheat drilled weds and yesterday and all rolled now as well, its pretty dry on top but enough moisture an inch down to get the wheat germinated. Forecast dry and sunny tomorrow, heavy showers Saturday, dry and sunny Sunday. Do i put the pre-em on tomorrow and hope the showers on Sat aren't ridiculously heavy or wait till Sunday by which time it will probably have dried up on top again. Thinking tomorrow would be better.

 

[essex man]

mmmm.... same here! was thinking rain sat would mean still damp enough Sunday to help activate pre ems. plus was going to be windy tomorrow but not so much now?
maybe split the difference one field 40 acres tomorrow
the other 25 acres sunday

 

[Grass And Grain]

I would consider the soil type. If it's light sand and liable to get chemical damage if heavy rain, then I would wait 'till Sunday.

Heavier land that's less prone to chemical damage and difficult to travel on after rain, then I'd go on Friday.

 

[shakerator]

Half dose before half after ...

 

[Brisel]

Half dose before half after ...

Hedging your bets!

Personally, unless heavy rain is forecast I'd get the job done if the wind and travelling conditions are right for application. It only takes minutes for the herbicide to bind to the damp soil particles. I had treated wheat seed chitting in 36 hours last week which means the weeds are doing that too. You'd soon kick yourself if you couldn't do it for 10 days having missed the opportunity today.

 

[ollie989898]

I'm telling folk to get on with it while we can travel without making a right mess. Seeds germinating quite quickly, will be up in no time if seed beds are reasonable.

 

[Vernon]

Skyfall here chitting within 48 hours, windy most days so whenever there's a window I'd be on with it. As brisel says wouldn't want to get held up after a missed oppertunity
Vernon

 

[Shutesy]

Answered my own question, will go on Sunday after tomorrow's rain. Soil is very dry on top here in Essex so no moisture to activate chemical until it rains, land is a mixture of light to heavy and if we get the forecast heavy rain tomorrow afternoon it could cause wash the chemical down to far I think, that plus it soon got to windy today. Would have to have a monsoon all weekend long to make the ground to wet to travel the day after so early Sunday morning looks fairly wind free so will get it on then onto some nice moist seedbeds hopefully!

 

[limestone brash]

The more rain you get after pre ems the better they work
If rain is coming get them on either before or whilst it's raining

 

[Shutesy]

The more rain you get after pre ems the better they work

Most of these chems say do not apply pre-em 48 hours before heavy rain forecast? Especially on gravelly soils which a few acres in some of our fields are.

 

[limestone brash]

More rain the better in my experience
If you don't get a degree of crop effect you're unlikely to be getting an optimal grass weed kill
I've put them on in the rain many a time and never known the corn die even where patches get hugely overdosed going round poles etc

 

[shakerator]

More rain the better in my experience
If you don't get a degree of crop effect you're unlikely to be getting an optimal grass weed kill

Agreed
But it doesn't feel good to nearly kill a crop as soon as its planted

 

[Brisel]

Agreed
But it doesn't feel good to nearly kill a crop as soon as its planted

Do you say the same about the weeds?

 

[limestone brash]

I like to see the crop getting hammered
I feel as though I've got my money's worth then (and the crop has 6 months to recover)

 

[Feldspar]

We're going before the rain. Also dry here.

 

[JACK F]

Hard to know what is best. Drilled a bit of wheat over last 2 days. Will finish avadex shortly but decided to leave the crystal etc for now. Bone dry so nothing will grow at moment. Wait to see how much rain we have today as may not be enough to chit the wheat. Possibly add glyphosate with pre em later. No more rain forecast after today for next week or so.

 

[shakerator]

Do you say the same about the weeds?

?

 

[Brisel]

?

Just saying that I think it is better to risk a bit of crop damage to get the herbicide onto the soil before the weeds have a chance to establish, comprising efficacy.

 

[Feldspar]

Hard to know what is best. Drilled a bit of wheat over last 2 days. Will finish avadex shortly but decided to leave the crystal etc for now. Bone dry so nothing will grow at moment. Wait to see how much rain we have today as may not be enough to chit the wheat. Possibly add glyphosate with pre em later. No more rain forecast after today for next week or so.

When you put it that way it does make sense, particularly if Avadexing.

 

[yellow belly]

avadex can be harshest

if pdm gets rain on it straight after application how much more effective can it be

I sprayed all wheat planted so far Friday and Saturday leaving out glyphosate on Saturday so will follow up with that in the next day or 2

the conundrum if it is dry for a few weeks the early drilled that is preemed may have better bg control than the delayed drilling that gets pre em in the dry