Grady Johnson is a sixth-generation farmer in Phelps County, Nebraska, whose mission at 37-Ag is to feed and fuel a growing population and pass his operation to the next generation. Overcoming the challenge of resistant Palmer amaranth was a big hurdle as he prepares for the future, but Johnson says he’s found the better way forward.
A sixth-generation Nebraska farmer still early in his career, Grady Johnson already thinks about passing his farm to the seventh generation. Aimed at that goal, he and his family endeavor to fulfill a singular purpose at 37-Ag, a corn-and-soybean operation in Phelps County.
“Our mission at 37-Ag is to feed and fuel a growing population for the next generation,” Johnson says. “We're always considering what we can do to be more sustainable for the future.”
Farming and planning for the future come with challenges, but one of the most formidable hurdles in recent years has been resistant Palmer amaranth.
“Pigweed has been the biggest problem we’ve faced in my lifetime,” Johnson says. “First it was resistant to glyphosate, and then we had trouble controlling it with dicamba.”
Johnson knew something had to change a few years ago when driving down turnrows after dicamba applications. They found weed escapes throughout their fields — pigweeds had been stunted but were still producing seed. More weeds would be coming, creating an even bigger problem for the future.
“We hired rogueing crews to cut out the weeds, because that was the only option,” Johnson said. “We decided then that we needed something new in our herbicide program.”
The next season, Johnson planted Enlist E3® soybeans and experienced immediate benefits on his farm. He believes the Enlist system outshined dicamba across the board, from ease of application to better weed control to higher yields.
“When we switched to Enlist soybeans, it was night and day difference. The weeds were controlled, and they weren't going to become a bigger problem in years to come,” Johnson says. “That gives you peace of mind, and there is a lot of pride in being able to drive down the road and look at a clean soybean field during the growing season.”
Johnson emphasizes the importance of using multiple modes of action in his weed control program, with Enlist One® herbicide as the foundation. When he was growing up, glyphosate was the primary over-the-top tool for controlling weeds, and he remembers when resistance started to develop.
“Glyphosate worked well when I was young, but everyone relied on it too much — that was its downfall. Every major weed we became resistant to it,” Johnson said. “I remember riding with my dad and asking, ‘What are we going to do when glyphosate doesn’t work?’ Not long after that, the question was, ‘What are we going to do when dicamba doesn’t work?’”
With Enlist E3 soybeans, Johnson uses a program approach to control weeds before they have a chance to get out of the ground. Overlapping chemistries is also a key component of weed resistance management.
“Our weed control with soybeans begins with a really good preemerge herbicide to have a residual, a blanket out there, to keep weeds from emerging throughout planting,” Johnson says. “Ideally, that gets us to a couple weeks after planting, when the crop is up and established, before weeds begin to emerge.”
For postemergence control, they use a tank-mix of Enlist One and glufosinate in a two-pass approach. Johnson said the tank-mix flexibility with Enlist herbicides enables him to use more modes of action to protect against weed resistance.
“We've had extremely clean soybean fields with this program, and we're being better stewards of the technology, so we can use it for many years to come,” Johnson says. “On our operation, we're always looking to better ourselves for the next year and into the future. Being able to fully control the pigweeds with the Enlist system gives us peace of mind to know that we are going to protect against problems in the future.”
Confidence in his weed control program allows Johnson to focus his time and energy on other aspects of the operation.
“With the Enlist system, the weed control is so good that we don’t have to think about it all of the time,” Johnson says. “Now we can focus more on how we can push our yields even higher and be more profitable.”
With industry-leading genetics and new Enlist E3 varieties, Johnson is excited about what the future holds. He’s produced 100 bu/A soybeans in the past, but one of his goals is to have a whole field average more than 100 bu/A. He believes that’s possible with Enlist E3 soybeans and says the yields could go even higher.
“We saw Alex Harrell in Georgia break the soybean yield record earlier this year with Enlist E3 soybeans, and that excites me about what we can do in our area,” Johnson says. “With our climate and aquifer in Phelps County, we believe the genetics in these soybeans can carry us to the next level. Our area has historically been one of the highest producers of corn. Now I’m excited to see what we can do with soybeans.”
To learn more about Enlist E3 soybeans, talk with your local Corteva Agriscience representative or visit https://www.enlist.com/en/traits/enlist-e3-soybeans.html.
The transgenic soybean event in Enlist E3® soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience and M.S. Technologies L.L.C. Enlist Duo® and Enlist One® herbicides are not registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your area. Enlist Duo and Enlist One are the only 2,4-D products authorized for use with Enlist® crops. Consult Enlist® herbicide labels for weed species controlled. Always read and follow label directions.
Problem weed: Palmer amaranth