Rain marks the beginning of the soybean harvest, but leaves producers on alert for weed management

This year, the beginning of the planting period for the 2022/23 soybean harvest was marked by the occurrence of rain from the Center-West to the South of Brazil. The anticipation of rain brought favorable conditions for sowing, but also for the emergence of weeds, requiring more attention from the producer.

“As the rains arrived earlier, we are noticing a greater initial occurrence of weeds in crops. As it is at the beginning of the crop cycle that a large part of its productive potential is defined, it is important that producers carry out good desiccation to sow cleanly, adopt sequential management and use pre-emergent herbicides in management”, highlights João Ibelli, Herbicide Portfolio Manager at ADAMA, a company that is part of one of the largest holdings of global agribusiness.

Many crops received rain even before the end of the sanitary vacuum, in which soybean cultivation is prohibited. The first states to have sowing authorized were Paraná, from September 11th, and Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, from September 15th. Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul, for example, cannot yet sow the legume, which should only occur from October 07th and 10th, respectively, according to the Ministry of Agriculture's order that established the sowing calendars for the 2022 harvest. /23.

In many of these producing regions, rain was still present in June, July and August. Therefore, well-executed desiccation is the first step to minimizing the problem of weeds in crops, highlights Ibelli. “Firstly, the producer needs to identify which weeds are the most worrying in their area and look for products that meet their needs, like Araddo, for example, which has a broad spectrum of control. In addition to controlling weeds such as sour grass, crow's foot grass, horseweed, milkweed and pigweed, the herbicide has no restriction on the interval between application and sowing and has a different mechanism of action, without antagonistic effects”, he highlights.

If weeds are identified at more advanced stages or are difficult to control in the area, sequential management may be necessary. With this in mind, ADAMA developed Cheval, a complete herbicide that combines post-emergence action, ideal for sequential application during desiccation, with a pre-emergence effect. “Cheval was developed in an exclusive T.O.V. formulation, with a high concentration of active ingredients, to form part of the producer's management program and mainly assist in the control of weeds resistant to glyphosate, such as horseweed and bittergrass”, highlights Ibelli.

The specialist also explains that as weeds germinate in various flows, due to the different dormancy levels of their seeds, it may also be necessary to use pre-emergent herbicides, as they act to reduce the seed bank of weeds in the crop, preventing the area from being infested again. “Today we already have very efficient pre-emergent herbicides on the market, such as Apresa, for example, which has an exclusive combination of active ingredients. Can be used in both the application-plant and plant-applique systems, Apresa is indicated for the control of both grasses, such as sour grass and crow's foot grass, as well as broad leaves such as pigweed, without causing interference in culture”, says Ibelli.

With weed competition being able to reduce the productivity of soybean crops by up to 80%, producers must be aware of the occurrence of these plants and manage them at the appropriate time. Therefore, performing good desiccation and using pre-emergents allow soybean sowing and initial development to occur in a clean environment.

#BomdeSoja Program | Weed Management

With a robust portfolio of herbicides, ADAMA brought the Bom de Soja Program to the market | Weed Management, consisting of different herbicides to combat the problem. Araddo, for example, is the herbicide indicated for the soybean pre-planting desiccation segment and is being a great success in the field, while Apresa is the company's pre-emergent with an exclusive combination of active ingredients, and Cheval is the innovative solution for sequential desiccation and resistance management. Apresa and Cheval are ADAMA launches for the 2022/23 harvest.

In addition to Araddo, Cheval and Apresa, the following herbicides are part of the #BomdeSoja Program: Poquer, Patrol and Prompt. A complete portfolio for all the challenges that producers face during the harvest.