The enemy reappears in fields

CROPSEY – As growers try to finish their spraying and start to re-spray certain fields, an enemy has reappeared in farm country.

Water hemp is the weed giving farmers the most trouble. It is often harder to control on soybean fields but is showing up in corn as well.

“It always seems to find places to squeeze through wherever there is daylight,” said Bryan Cole, manager of the Brandt Cropsey location.

This is a weed farmers must stay on top of and get it while it is small or not even let it emerge in the first place.

Cole cautions against giving up on the growing crops so he recommends a timely fungicide application this summer.

“The April planted crop or early corn is starting to tassel and even some of the beans are at that R2 stage already or later.”

There have been a few pop-up showers in the Cropsey area lately but it has been dry with yards starting to burn up and crops starting to show response to all of the dry weather conditions.

“We could definitely use a drink,” Cole said.

The area has a fair amount of subsoil moisture to keep the corn and soybeans going – for now. Crops planted in April look good, May plantings are sporadic and those fields planted in June had great emergence.

Cole feels there is still the potential for good crops in his area.