Controlling Marestail in 3 different scenarios

[DRG3]

For background I have a field that I have taken out of row crop production to use for wildlife. This field has quite a bit of glyphosate resistant marestail.

I intend- and have started the process of splitting this field into 3 different scenarios/use categories- NWSG/Forbs, Summer plantings- buckwheat this first year, and cool season food plots.

I have sprayed Glyphosate in the NWSG/Forb and buckwheat plots and am getting a great kill- except for the marestail.

Question 1- Does the marestail need control in the nwsg/forb and buckwheat areas or will they outcompete. If so- what method of control? I have mechanical means or can try chemical but I am running out of time and am concerned with residual from the herbicides that may control it.
The marestail isn't showing much damage after 9 days, but I wonder if it's stunted enough that I could drill into it and overtake.

I have the county no till drill rented next weekend so time is of the essence here.

Question 2- I assume in the fall plot areas it will need control but wondering if I can avoid spraying. Can I control with mowing or discing.
Right now those fall areas are fallow- with whatever coming in. My plan here was to mow a couple times, then spray and either drill or till for a fall annual planting.

Equipment and herbicides I have available

I have a tractor, disc,tiller, bushog sprayer and the following herbicides - 2,4DB, Imox, Bentazon.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[hillrunner]

Are you open to picking up some liberty herbicide?

 

[DRG3]

Are you open to picking up some liberty herbicide?

I would be yes. Does it have any residual on buckwheat, crp plants, oats, clover and brassicas?

 

[hillrunner]

I would be yes. Does it have any residual on buckwheat, crp plants, oats, clover and brassicas?

Nope, you'd be safe. Just make sure you use around 20 gallons of water per acre and spray in the heat of the day. Liberty should nuke the marestail.

 

[SD51555]

You have to either jump up to herbicide that will take it out, plow it under, or get it covered in something aggressive and diverse. Glyphosate is the best fertilizer for marestail because it clears out all of its competition.


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[DRG3]

Nope, you'd be safe. Just make sure you use around 20 gallons of water per acre and spray in the heat of the day. Liberty should nuke the marestail.

Does it need a surfactant and at what rate?

It looks like it calls for 22-44 oz per acre of product and you point out 20 gallons per acre so between 1-2 oz per gallon seems like the rate. Would that hold for spot spraying?

 

[hillrunner]

I'm sure that'd work for spot spraying. I think you'd be ok without the surfactant or crop oil. The main concern is not to let the mairstail get too big. I'd spray asap.

 

[T-Max]

When I used Liberty last year I mixed in Drexel AMS Supreme and it did great. Both surfactant and water conditioner. Relatively cheap and super effective and mixes really easily. Worth a look if you are gonna try Liberty.


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[DRG3]

I’m willing to use the Liberty but also I guess in general-
does the marestail need sprayed In crp and buckwheat or will they compete enough?

Edit- I talked to the local Ag store and he suggested that for my NWSG/Forbs and Buckwheat, I save my money and let them outcompete the marestail, or that if it stayed it would not be a problem in this setting. He also suggest that I not let them go to seed by mowing in my areas that will be fall plots and then spray liberty at that time.
I do have a good relationship and do business with this store and they have a great reputation- but for them to pass on a sale of herbicide- they must beleive this would be

I would really appreciate folks thoughts here.

 

[farmlegend]

I planted 28a of short grasses and forbs two years ago(June 2022), all on degraded rowcrop ground. I faced much of the same dilemma. Southern Michigan.

I used three different strategies. All planted with hired no-till drill on the same day.
1. Just straight-up planting of the grass seed and forbs.
2. Straight up planting as per #1 but mowed the marestail two months after planting, in August.
3. Planted along with nurse crop of oats and grain sorghum.

The portion of my planting that included the nurse crop seed performed the best, by far. Least amount of marestail and most robust forb and grass growth. Some species of forbs only showed up in this zone, and, early in year 3, this planting has the best performing forb and grass development.

The portion that was just straight-up planted with no mowing had the biggest marestail infestation, as you might imagine. The good news is in year 2, the marestail, while still abundant, was all single-stem, rather than branchy. Year 3, the grasses are clearly on the ascent, and the marestail is diminishing.

The portion that I mowed did not perform any better than the unmowed portion, at all. Those two zones look very similar today.

I feared marestail much less after reading this:

Admirable, Abundant, and Adaptable, But Not Aggressive

During the last month or so, I’ve had several people tell me how aggressive marestail (horseweed, aka Conyza canadensis) is, and how this is a particularly bad year for it. One person sugges…

prairieecologist.com

 

[DRG3]

Really helpful and a great article. Thank you!

 

[buckdeer1]

I spray my marestail and pigweed with Interline which is the generic liberty chemical.Only thing is with any of these is you will kill any other broadleaf.If you have things you want to keep might be able to use a wick if marestail is taller than the others

 

[Foggy47]

^^^. Good article above. Thanks for posting.