# Should tillage be used to control resistant weeds?



## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Herbicide-resistant weeds: The tillage dilemma

"Do we need to till or not?" Purdue University weed scientist Bryan Young often hears this question from........

http://www.agprofessional.com/agpro-university/nufarm-learning-center/should-tillage-be-used-control-resistant-weeds


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

You cannot control Palmer Amaranth with tillage.....like throwing gasoline on a fire.

Regards, Mike


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Timing is everything when it comes to controlling weeds in my opinion.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Vol said:


> You cannot control Palmer Amaranth with tillage.....like throwing gasoline on a fire.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Yeah, some weeds will die when uprooted while others will multiply 100 times.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> Yeah, some weeds will die when uprooted while others will multiply 100 times.


exactly


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I have never seen a weed here that will germinate from tillage like Palmer will....the ground will be covered in dense foliage with nothing but Palmer if there has been Palmer plant stock left unchecked in the past.

Regards, Mike


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

What works now for weed control won't in 20 years. Type of chemicals and tillage practices will have to continue to evolve because mankind may win a battle but mother nature will always win the war.


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

If you waited late enough in spring, and if there was enough rainfall or irrigation, most of the existing seeds will have sprouted. At that point, turn the soil (plow) and the germinating seeds and other dormant seeds will be flipped over (7-8 inches deep) and this will cut down and smother the weeds quite a bit. Few seeds if any, can grow thru 8 inches of soil. This is one of the main reasons for plowing, and it is still done all over the world. We now have "no till" but we also have pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Hugh said:


> If you waited late enough in spring, and if there was enough rainfall or irrigation, most of the existing seeds will have sprouted. At that point, turn the soil (plow) and the germinating seeds and other dormant seeds will be flipped over (7-8 inches deep) and this will cut down and smother the weeds quite a bit. Few seeds if any, can grow thru 8 inches of soil. This is one of the main reasons for plowing, and it is still done all over the world. We now have "no till" but we also have pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides.


That takes care of all of the easy weeds. The ones with seeds with a short term viability. Otherwise, you're moving seeds to the top at the same time that you're burying others. And if you have anything like Canada thistle, which will regrow from a section of root less than 1/4" long, well, get ready for a big problem when that plow goes in the ground and a bigger problem when you start dragging those root pieces around the field with finishing tools.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> That takes care of all of the easy weeds. The ones with seeds with a short term viability. Otherwise, you're moving seeds to the top at the same time that you're burying others. And if you have anything like Canada thistle, which will regrow from a section of root less than 1/4" long, well, get ready for a big problem when that plow goes in the ground and a bigger problem when you start dragging those root pieces around the field with finishing tools.


Already see this with the local BTO that thinks they are going to get ahead of their weed problems by plowing, they had a nice new crop of weeds that went to seed after they had plowed after cutting wheat. Best way to solve a weed problem is not to let it become a problem. Plowing might bury some weed seeds, but it absolutely destroys soil structure.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

I'm extremely grateful that Palmer hasn't made it this far North yet. Sounds like a miserable bastard to control.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

stack em up said:


> I'm extremely grateful that Palmer hasn't made it this far North yet. Sounds like a miserable bastard to control.


Right now, it can easily be killed with 2-4d.....but that is not helpful in many cropping situations. Here there is no longer any response to gly with the exception of the first few days of germination....but that really does not help as after those sprouts are killed there are thousands ready and willing to take their place.

Regards, Mike


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## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

Viewing plowing as some sort of crime is right out of the leftist playbook, along with monoculture, climate change, fossil fuels, vaccinations, GMO, pesticides, etc.

Some soils are impossible for agriculture without plowing. Plowing to break hard pan, (improve soil structure) bring nutrients to the surface and suppress weeds has been going on for thousands of years. Even in Europe, where the environmentalists are rampant, plowing still takes place. The advocacy for not plowing is a political strategy more than a function of agronomy. Has anyone ever noticed, that to these people, anything that improves human life is bad, and anything that makes human life more difficult is good?

From the University of Nebraska:

"Moldboard plowing can provide soil pulverization and nearly complete burial of weed seeds and residue. Secondary tillage operations, such as disking or field cultivation, allow for uniform incorporation of fertilizers and pesticides and smoothing of the soil surface. Additionally, crop cultivation for weed control is usually practiced.

Soils that tend to be wet are well suited for a fall moldboard plow system. Plowing speeds up warming and drying of these soils, thus avoiding spring delays. Although vulnerable to erosion, wet soils are often relatively flat, thus soil loss caused by runoff may not be a major concern. With fall moldboard plowing, more time is available in the spring for additional tillage operations. However, on steeper slopes, the potential for soil erosion by water throughout the winter and spring is great because surface residue in not available to protect the soil. Likewise, in drier climates, the potential for soil erosion by wind is greater without residue cover.

Spring plowing reduces the potential for wind and water erosion throughout the winter, but the labor and time requirements in the spring can offset these advantages. Furthermore, spring plowing may produce clods, which require unplanned tillage operations to develop a seedbed. Excessive soil moisture losses, especially in dry years, is another disadvantage with spring plowing and the associated secondary tillage operations."


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