Everyone's talking soybean herbicides

ASHKUM – The biggest topic in agriculture currently seems to be soybean herbicides and what traits to use next year.

Randy Wilken, owner and president of ProHarvest Seeds based in Ashkum, says seed companies will need to evaluate the different scenarios and thoughts out there and how to sort through all of the information. Companies such as ProHarvest will likely be sitting down with growers in the coming months to figure out what may be the best fit for their farm.

“It’s not a one size fits all situation,” said Wilken. “Let’s not just look at next year, but what are the long-term consequences?”

Maybe growers will need to draw up a three-year plan to manage weeds the best. As we look ahead to the next season with soybeans, new traits and herbicides have been introduced.

“There have been some bumps in the road with a couple of those and there have been successes with a couple of those,” Wilken adds.

Some new traits are awaiting global approval to possibly get into fields next year.

ProHarvest recently held its dealer kickoff and training at the Illinois State University research farm near Lexington. The company has several plots at the farm and the dealers were able to actually look at corn and soybeans rather than sit in a hotel conference room all day, according to Wilken.

ProHarvest is an independent, regional seed company headquartered in east central Illinois. They offer corn, soybeans, wheat, forages and cover crops.

“A lot of what we do is based largely for this geography,” Wilken said.

The company has over 80 dealers selling the brand in Illinois. ProHarvest was launched six years ago and continues to grow. For more information, visit www.proharvestseeds.com or call 866-807-7015.