Let's discuss herbicide application for foodplots

[HCJtractor]

I have a small atv sprayer with a boom (25 gallon?) but am contemplating building a larger 3 point model. I was considering a boomless yet realize a boom gives more accurate coverage. Is the difference that great, or would a boomless design suffice if I get a high end boomless nozzle? Some of my roads and plots are tight and a boomless would be way easier to manage, if it would be adequate for my needs.

[super55]

I have a 30 gal sprayer that I have rigged up for a spray gun, boomless, and boom that fits in the back of a UTV I just Tee off the main line and put shut off valves on all of them so I can use which ever one I see fit. Fimco sells a 10 foot boom or you could easy make one that fold into storage when not in use.

The boomless does work and from my experience the higher you have it up and can angle it down the better. A lot of them say they will do a 30 ft swath but from my experience it probably safer to say about 15-20 feet. The big difference is that boomless throw droplets instead of a mist due to help control drifting. The other thing is mostly with corn is that if the corn is 10-18 tall and you need to spray your corn is going to block most of the herbicide getting to the unwanted vegetation. Plus certain herbicides like 2,4-D which I doubt you'll use if using RR seed have a tendency to burn corn a little bit so you try to keep it off as much as possible.

For clovers and alfalfa a boomless will work fine since those crops are slower to establish and your weeds are generally taller than your crop when you spray.

Here's I utilize my sprayer.

Wand- spot spraying fencelines or around saplings to kill out the competition.

Boomless- Initial burndown of fields, Clendomiathon for alfalfa/clover plots, Also use it for spraying crop oil on fruit trees by angling it up and driving around the tree.

Boom- Spraying Row crops or a pre-emergent herbicide. Also use this if spraying round-up around pines since they are very tolerant of gly.

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Okay, Here my 2 cents worth since I put in several acres of corn, beans and foodplots every year but up in KY. Roundup only works on green, growing plants and has no soil residual effect. The trick is "green and actively growing" if the air and/or soil temp is low, say below 50, the plant may not be growing much. Likewise the chemical may not get absorbed and translocated to kill both the foliage and the root. Without knowing all the particulars of your situation I'm doing some guessing. I haven't had good results with RR (ROUNDUP READY) corn but RR beans have almost been a godsend. If I plant corn into beans stubble I plant, then apply a pre-emerge herbicide, and then a post emerge as needed. If I plant beans in corn stalks I plant and spray Roundup as needed. Corn seedlings will withstand some frost but beans will not. The University of Ky says that every day after April 15 that corn is planted we lose a bushel per acre yield. I shoot for the first Sat in May to plant beans. If I'm planting in sod field, old pasture or hay field I burn it down with roundup as soon as I can and plant as I would in I stalk field. I rarely work a field down unless I have torn it up some getting a crop out in the fall. I've never sprayed a field(burned down) and then worked it.

[Baranx4]

I prefer to spray a pre-emergent and most can be mixed with roundup or generic as well. Here is a link that is pretty informative.

Herbicides - Iowawhitetail forums

[Smallplot]

So roundup ready plants can be sprayed anytime during their growing cycle without any harm?

No there are still times while a plant is growing when spraying may cause harm. For instance you can not spray soybeans while they are in bloom. It tends to knock off blooms then no pods.

If I spray a plot a week before planting, would further weed control be necessary throughout the summer and early Fall? Keep in mind this is for deer, not production.

This depends on the kind of weeds you have and if you like to see weeds in your plots. Some invasive weeds can overtake a plot in short order. Foxtail and grasses come to mind. They can easily out compete most plot seeds.

[Smallplot]

Most herbicides work better on small weeds, 4 inches or shorter. Roundup is different, it kills tall weeds too.

Paul, just making a clarification here. You provided some top notch info but someone new might get a little confused here. All herbicides will kill both young and mature weeds but all herbicides work better on the younger plants. Roundup/GLY is recommended when target plants are under 6 inches. During my commercial applicator class this year information was given that between 2 and 3 inch plants are the best candidate for RU especially if the target plant is one of the resistant varieties.

If you are spraying mature target weeds, you will have to use the Max application rates and a crop oil or surfactant is a must.

[Western]

Just thinking out loud here, but Deer like weeds!! Of course depends on the type, but why make it to "complicated" if it isn't for high production?

Plant runner beans that can grow up the corn and shade out most of the weeds.

[Rford]

Just thinking out loud here, but Deer like weeds!! Of course depends on the type, but why make it to "complicated" if it isn't for high production?

Plant runner beans that can grow up the corn and shade out most of the weeds.

Yup...they lived on weeds a long time before we started planting food plots for them....they can't eat fescue and other pasture grasses, but where I've rototilled and killed the fescue and let plain old weeds grow up the deer are in those areas all the time. But its not as much fun growing weeds.

[kubotakid USA]

Hi All,
Roundup ready plants are not really effected by roundup in the early stages,. As far as when to spray depends on your sprayer. And the projected groth of the weeds.
I use a low profile sprayer, So I cant use it when the corn is over 18-24" tall. The deal is, You dont spray until the last thing,.. Meaning, If u spray too earily, before the weeds get out of the ground, It wont effect those weeds, That could get a good head of groth before the canapy has formed.
The Ideal time to spray is between the sprayers capacity,.The width of the rows,.30 or 40" wide, And the projected canapy to naturally shade out those plants.

Generally speaking,.You should spray when the corn is about 18/24" tall.
It will kill all the weeds, Before they have a chance to get established, Before, the canapy has formed, And, That will naturally keep the weeds from sprouting/establishing,. Or at least keep them from growing into a nusance.

kubotakid USA

[ToddCaron]

Hello and sorry if this has been covered but I have just joined the board.

? I have about 2.5 acres that I planted in clover this spring. Due to the distance between my property and home I was unable to mow it regularly and in fact have only mowed it twice. The clover came up nice and is still present but so are the broadleafs and grass. I'm thinking about either redoing the plot or overseeding. Overseeding seems much easier and less time consuming but I've got to clear off the weeds and grasses. Can I apply 2-4D and arrest at the same time as overseeding or do I need to kill, wait and then seed? Time is tight and I try to make the best use of it to enjoy the property.

Thank you.