Weed Management
Following Wet Weather
Kansas State University • Cooperative Extension Service • Manhattan, Kansas
This year’s wet weather and flooding will
impact weed management next spring. Three
areas of concern are: 1) effects of waterlogged
soils on herbicide carryover, 2) managing
herbicides around alfalfa, and 3) impact of wet
fields on weed species and infestations.
Herbicide Carryover in Wet Fields
Rowcrop herbicides that sometimes affect
rotational crops are atrazine, Treflan (also Tri-
4 and Trilin), Prowl, Scepter, Pursuit, and
Classic (in soil-applied mixtures such as Pre-
view, Canopy, and Lorox Plus). The persistence
of these herbicides in the soil is influenced by
soil microbial activity and/or soil pH.
Soil microbe activity, and herbicide break-
down, is generally favored by moist, warm,
well-aerated soils, with pH between 5.5 and
7.0. Fields that have been waterlogged will
require extra time for the microbial flora to
return to normal levels. Soil aeration by tillage
or soil cracking, incorporation of plant resi-
dues, and growing covercrops will speed recov-
ery of these fields. Scepter and Pursuit are
soybean herbicides that are broken down
mainly by soil microbes. Growers should take
this herbicide history into account if such fields
are to be rotated to corn or sorghum.
Chemical decomposition is the major break-
down route for rowcrop herbicides such as
atrazine and Classic, and for wheat herbicides
such as Amber, Glean, and Finesse. These
herbicides persist longer in alkaline soils (pH
above 7.0), where breakdown by chemical
hydrolysis and oxidation-reduction reactions is
slowed.
Herbicide breakdown does not always
follow expected patterns. Treflan breakdown,
for example, is actually greater in soils at 200%
field capacity (waterlogged) than in soils at 50
and 100% of field capacity. Decomposition
under these anaerobic conditions was not
associated with anaerobic microorganisms or
soil type, but was temperature dependent.
The first crop following flooding often does
poorly and looks nonuniform. Sometimes this
is attributed to contamination from herbicides
carried in by flood waters. While herbicides
may be present in floodwaters, it would be
highly unusual to have concentrations high
enough to adversely affect crops downstream.
Managing Herbicides around Alfalfa
Statewide, alfalfa is perhaps the crop that
fared the least well during the wet months.
Growers are reminded that alfalfa herbicides
such as Karmex, Sinbar, and Velpar have very
long soil persistence. Consult crop rotation
restrictions on the labels, and records of appli-
cation rates and dates, before planting
rowcrops and small grains into alfalfa ground.
Also, recall that seedling alfalfa is very sensi-
tive to carryover of triazine herbicides, as well
as sulfonylurea-type herbicides such as Amber,
Glean, and Finesse.
Residual Herbicides, Degradation, and
Recropping Intervals is a KSU/Cooperative
Extension Service bulletin (C-707 Revised)
that contains more detailed information on
herbicide breakdown. Table 1 in that bulletin
lists persistence and recropping intervals for
most herbicides used in Kansas field crops, and
Table 2 shows the relative importance of the
different breakdown mechanisms for each
herbicide.
Impact on Weed Species and Infestations
Fields that were flooded will likely have
increased infestations of shattercane,
johnsongrass, cocklebur and other “bottom-
land” weeds in 1994. It may be wise to avoid
planting sorghum in fields which flood waters
have innoculated with shattercane or johnson-
grass seed.
Certain weed species have flourished with
the wet weather. Eastern Kansas annual grass
weeds such as fall panicum and barnyardgrass
have done well much farther west than usual.
Other weeds that have taken advantage of the
moisture are perennials such as yellow nut-
sedge and swamp smartweed, and annuals
such as Pennsylvania smartweed and
burcucumber.
David L. Regehr
Extension Weed Specialist
Many rowcrop fields suffered from poor
weed control in 1993. Wet weather hindered
timely herbicide applications and cultivation.
Some grass control herbicides, such as Dual,
Lasso, Ramrod, and Frontier, are subject to
leaching and more rapid dissipation under
high rainfall conditions.
The net result is that many fields will have
greater than normal weed infestation potential
in 1994. To compensate for this, farmers
should expect to increase their weed manage-
ment efforts. This will require more attentive
scouting, and aggressive follow-up with tillage
or herbicides.
Cooperative Extension Service
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas
MF-1148 November 1993
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as
amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, and United States Department
of Agriculture Cooperating, Richard D. Wootton, Associate Director. All educational programs
and materials available without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,
age, or disability.
11-93-5M