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Weed resistance is a fact of life when growing corn and soybeans. Growers need multiple tools available and LibertyLink^® soybeans and Liberty^® herbicide are two of those tools.

However, applying Liberty and getting good performance is not as easy as spraying on glyphosate. You need to pay more attention to weed height and application instructions and strive to get it right. That means paying attention to the details.

Eric Ifft, Customer Business Advisor with Bayer CropScience, provided this list of tips when it comes to applying Liberty on LibertyLink soybeans.

Timing

• In-crop: emergence up to bloom
• Late evening applications may reduce control of some species
• Spray when weeds are actively growing
• If the first application fails due to poor coverage, apply a second time 5 – 8 days after the first before weeds begin to regrow.

Rates

• Label recommendation is 29-36 oz/Acre per application
• Maximum single application of 36 oz/acre
• Maximum 65 oz/acre per growing season

Mixing

• Fill tank ½ full of water, agitate, add AMS, add tank-mix partner, complete filling the tank with water
• Add Liberty
• If foaming occurs, add silicone-based anti-foam agent

Spraying to ensure good coverage

• Use nozzles and pressure that generate medium (250-350 microns) droplets
• Apply at 15 GPA. If heavy weed pressure occurs, increase to 20 GPA
• Applying at ground speeds less than 12 MPH is recommended
• Avoid spraying when wind speeds are greater than 12 MPH or during temperature inversions
  

Rainfast and pre-harvest interval

• Rainfast: 4 hours
• PHI: 70 days before soybean harvest
• Do not graze or cut the treated crop for hay

Crop Rotation

• May be planted at any time: Canola, Corn, Cotton, Rice, Soybeans and Sugar Beets
• 70 days: Root and Tuber Vegetables, Leafy Vegetables, Brassica Leafy Vegetables and Small Grains (barley, buckwheat, oats, rye, teosinte, triticale and wheat).
• 180 days: All Other Crops

To learn more about using Liberty to control resistant weeds attend the ILSoyAdvisor Field Days on either August 2, 3 or 4. Bayer CropScience agronomists will be presenting a field stop on “Managing Liberty Herbicide Applications on Soybeans.”

Agronomist Dr. Daniel Davidson posts blogs on agronomy-related topics. Feel free to contact him at djdavidson@agwrite.com or ring him at 402-649-5919.