Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

• Agronomic: corn, soybeans

• Ecosystem: Ecosystem

• Human Health: workers, residents, applicators

Target Pests

Practices

• Pest Management: chemical control, cultivation, mechanical control, pesticide application timing, pesticide resistance management, pesticides, weed ecology

• Crop Production: application rate management, crop rotation, cropping systems

• Production Systems: agroecosystems

• Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems

Problem:

Volunteer corn is among the top ten problematic weeds in Nebraska and several other states in the North central region. It is not only an issue in soybean but presents an even more complex management challenge in continuous corn production systems due to no selective post-emergence herbicide option. In not controlled at right stage, volunteer corn significantly reduces yields and increases pest problems in the crop grown in rotation. 

Approach:

Herbicide options do not exist for controlling Enlist corn volunteers in subsequent corn plantings. Consequently, inter-row cultivation emerges as the sole alternative for managing Enlist corn volunteers. However, inter-row cultivation alone may not entirely eliminate early-stage volunteer corn because the growing point remains below ground until the V6 growth stage. Therefore, there is an urgent need to evaluate whether a single-pass inter-row cultivation is sufficient to eliminate volunteer corn plants younger than the V6 stage or if multiple passes or a combination of tillage and herbicide applications are necessary. The outcomes of such an evaluation will provide critical guidance for Midwestern corn and soybean growers regarding optimal inter-row cultivation timing and frequency to effectively control corn volunteers.

Precision sprayers have potential to reduce chemical use, lower operational costs, and minimize negative environmental impacts. Their integrated algorithms are capable of identifying weeds across various crops such as corn, soybean, and cotton. However, the specific challenge posed by volunteer corn in soybean fields, where crop plants themselves act as weeds, presents a unique scenario. Critical questions remain unanswered, including: i) Can precision sprayers accurately detect volunteer corn as a weed? and ii) What magnitude of herbicide reduction is achievable when using precision sprayers compared to traditional broadcast applications? Therefore, rigorous testing of these systems in accurately detecting and targeting volunteer corn within soybean fields is urgently needed. 

Objectives:

1. Integrated management of glufosinate/glyphosate-resistant corn volunteers in Enlist corn.
2. Evaluate precision sprayer for targeted management of volunteer corn and herbicide savings in soybean.
3. Economic analysis and transfer of research-based information on integrated management of volunteer corn to stakeholders.

Anticipated Impact:

This project will yield both short- and medium-term outcomes (see attached logic model). In the short term, growers will receive evidence-based, research-supported insights on the efficacy of selective herbicides and a combination of inter-row cultivation and herbicides for integrated management of glufosinate/glyphosate-resistant corn volunteers in Enlist corn. This information will be particularly beneficial for the numerous Midwest growers practicing continuous corn. The precision sprayers are expected to detect and control over 90% of volunteer corn in soybean fields and can provide significant herbicide savings based on volunteer corn density, encouraging broader adoption of new technology among growers. Ultimately, long-term outcomes will include increased awareness and adoption of sustainable, integrated management of herbicide-resistant volunteer corn in corn and soybean that will reduce interference of volunteer corn and result in better grain yields and increase profitability of growers in the North Central region. 

1. Integrated management of glufosinate/glyphosate-resistant corn volunteers in Enlist corn.
2. Evaluate precision sprayer for targeted management of volunteer corn and herbicide savings in soybean.
3. Economic analysis and transfer of research-based information on integrated management of volunteer corn to stakeholders.