Indiana Ag News Headlines Specialist Offers Tips for Weed Control Before Planting Wheat Indiana Ag Connection - 10/02/2009 Farmers looking to plant winter wheat after the harvest of corn and soybean fields should place weed control near the top of priority list, said a Purdue University specialist. Weed management is important because it helps with stand establishment, explained Bill Johnson, Purdue Extension weed specialist. "In areas of the state, we've had a relatively dry fall and these weeds can continue to deplete soil moisture and result in poor wheat stands," he said. Weeds to be on the look out for include: chickweed, henbit, purple deadnettle, dandelion, and winter annual grasses such as Carolina foxtail, annual bluegrass and little barley. There are only two broad spectrum herbicides labeled for use before planting wheat -- glyphosate and gramoxone, Johnson said. "If you have dandelions, which are a perennial weed, I would use glyphosate," he said. "For winter annual weeds, you can use gramoxone or glyphosate." Johnson also points out that 2,4-D is not labeled for use in the fall. "It's used very commonly in the spring for post-emergence weed control, but 2,4-D is not labeled for use in the fall for wheat production," he said. "This can result in poor pollination and incomplete fill of the heads next spring." After wheat is planted, Johnson recommends scouting for weeds three to four weeks after the wheat is emerged. If weeds like henbit, purple deadnettle, chickweed and dandelion are present, fall treatments can be applied to help suppress the weeds and aid with tillering and stand establishment of wheat. Contact Johnson at 765-494-4656 or wgjohnso@purdue.edu for questions and additional information about controlling weeds in winter wheat. Copyright © 2010 - USAgNet.com. All Rights Reserved.