Importance of protecting pulses early

Pulses, including lentils and field peas, are highly sensitive to early weed competition due to their relatively slow initial growth and limited canopy development.

Effective weed management at the start of the season is crucial to ensure these crops can establish themselves, optimize nutrient uptake, and achieve higher yields.

Implementing an early-season weed control strategy that combines pre-seed burndown with soil-active herbicides can significantly enhance pulse crop performance and overall farm profitability.

Why Early Weed Management is Essential for Pulses

Weed competition is most detrimental during the first few weeks of crop establishment. Weeds emerging alongside pulse crops aggressively compete for moisture, nutrients and sunlight. Since pulses do not develop an aggressive canopy as quickly as cereals, they are particularly vulnerable to early-season weed pressure. Without effective early control, weed competition can significantly reduce yield, up to 40% in some cases.

Additionally, early weed control plays a crucial role in mitigating long-term weed seed bank accumulation. Uncontrolled early-season weeds can set seed, leading to increased weed pressure in subsequent growing seasons.

Combining Pre-Seed Burndown with Residual Herbicides

To maximize early weed control in pulses, growers should consider an integrated approach that pairs a pre-seed burndown herbicide with a soil-active residual product. This strategy not only eliminates early-emerged weeds but also provides extended protection against future flushes, reducing the pressure and reliance on in-crop herbicide applications.

Pre-Seed Burndown: Stopping Early Competition

Applying a pre-seed burndown herbicide controls weeds before pulse crops emerge. GoldWing^® herbicide is a reliable option for pre-seed applications in pulses, offering broad-spectrum control of tough broadleaf weeds, including kochia, wild mustard, and volunteer canola. Utilizing a strong burndown herbicide ensures a clean start, giving pulse crops the best opportunity to establish without competition.

Soil-Active Herbicides: Longer-Term Protection

The addition of a soil-active herbicide in Canada such as Fierce^® EZ or Valtera^® EZ helps control key problem weeds for up to eight weeks after activation. These soil-active herbicides manage broadleaf and grassy weeds as they try to emerge and establish, maintaining clean fields until the crop canopy develops.

• Fierce EZ Herbicide: Offers residual control of key broadleaf and grass weeds, making it an excellent choice for lentils and field peas. It is effective against broadleaf weeds such as kochia and cleavers, including herbicide resistant biotypes. It’s also an excellent tool to help manage resistant wild oats.

  
  

• Valtera EZ Herbicide: Provides consistent residual control of troublesome broadleaf weeds, helping pulses maintain their competitive edge during early development.

By combining GoldWing with a soil residual herbicide, growers create a robust weed control program that can significantly reduce in-season weed pressure, improve crop competition, and minimize the reliance on in-crop herbicide applications.

Key Considerations for Early Weed Control in Pulses

Application Timing and Conditions

Environmental conditions also play a role in herbicide efficacy. Moisture is critical for the activation of Fierce EZ and Valtera EZ. When applied in the fall, moisture can come from melting snow in the spring and spring applications will activate with early season showers.

Many pre-seed burndown herbicides work best when applied to actively growing weeds. Applications made after a frost or during prolonged cold conditions may result in reduced efficacy.

Herbicide Resistance Management

With the increasing prevalence of herbicide-resistant weeds in Western Canada, incorporating multiple modes of action is essential to delay resistance development. Rotating between different herbicide groups and different herbicide types, such as contact and residual, and integrating cultural control methods, such as crop rotation and strategic seeding rates, can help reduce the risk of resistance development.

Crop Safety and Residual Carryover

Growers should carefully select herbicides with crop safety in mind. Products like Fierce EZ and Valtera EZ are safe ahead of pulse, cereal and soybean crops and have minimal risk of causing injury when applied according to label guidelines. Canola and mustard seed can be planted 12 months following an application.

Protecting pulses early is a critical step in maximizing yield potential and ensuring long-term weed control success. By implementing an integrated weed management approach that includes a pre-seed burndown with GoldWing herbicide and residual control using Fierce EZ or Valtera EZ, growers can reduce early-season competition, improve crop establishment and enhance profitability. Investing in early weed control not only benefits the current growing season but also contributes to a long-term strategy for sustainable and effective weed management.

With the right approach, growers can stay ahead of weeds, protect their pulse yield potential and maintain cleaner fields for future seasons. Prioritizing early weed management is an investment in both short-term productivity and long-term success.