Enlist One® Herbicide Stays on Target to Help Control Pigweed
Like many other passionate farmers, Gerald Malin Jr. says farming is all he’s ever wanted to do. As a toddler, he would go with his dad to the fields every day. When he was about 12 years old, Malin rented his first few acres from his dad. Years later, he still can’t seem to get enough of farming.
“The times have changed, but I still enjoy it,” Malin says. “My wife says everything I do for a hobby, I turn into a job. That includes raising cattle.”
Each year, Malin tries to produce a better crop than the year before. In 2017, he had his best cotton crop ever, logging record yields for his farm. So what would drive changes to his cotton crop plans for this year?
Pigweed.
“We have tremendous pigweed pressure in this area,” Malin says. “We have quite a seedbank and a bad resistance problem. I chose PhytoGen varieties with the Enlist trait because of the longer application window and because of the disease package they have.”
After using the Enlist™ weed control system for the first time, Malin shares a few tips for others considering the technology.
- Pair Enlist One® herbicide with glufosinate for control of the toughest weeds.
- Spray weeds when they are small for better control.
- Watch wind speed and direction for an on-target application.
“You could actually tell when you sprayed Enlist One,” Malin says, comparing it to other herbicides. “It was like something was drawing it to the ground. It sprayed well. We had no mixing problems. The cotton looks great.”
With weed resistance expanding in his area, Malin appreciates having new technologies to help with weed control. He grows dicamba-tolerant soybeans near his Enlist® cotton. Malin knows it’s important to be a good steward of these systems. He is adamant about incorporating multiple modes of action in his management strategy.
He starts with a burndown for clean fields at planting. He follows up with preemergence residual herbicides. On his Enlist cotton, he comes back with a timely application of Enlist One herbicide plus glyphosate or a second residual.
“Rotation of chemistries is important to keep them as viable options,” Malin says.
As his first season with the Enlist system closes in on harvest, Malin says he’s pleased with the technology.
“The Enlist cotton is looking very impressive,” Malin says. “We have an Enlist Innovation Plot, and there are several varieties in there that look really good for next year.”
What he sees in the plot confirms the research Malin has done on PhytoGen® cottonseed. And he’s not the only one taking notice. The PhytoGen varieties in the Innovation Plot have caught the attention of several neighbors.
