Herbicide plan for the 2025 season

Monica Jean<atkinmon@msu.edu> and Madelyn Celovsky<celovsk2@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Update for field crop farmers on RUP credit opportunities, Bulletins Live! Two and herbicide strategies for the 2025 season.

Water hemp growing in a soybean field along a road.
Water hemp in a soybean field. Photo by Monica Jean, MSU Extension.

Already thinking about your herbicide program for 2025? We are too. This article will highlight key resources including problem weeds from 2024, herbicide programs for 2025, restricted used pesticide (RUP) credit opportunities for your license, how to obtain a new license and how to comply with Bulletins Live! Two.

What are the weed management issues for 2025?

Christy Sprague, Michigan State University Extension weeds specialist, joined the In the Weeds podcast to cover weed management lessons learned from 2024 and what to watch out for in 2025. You can listen to and find the latest episodes on Spotify or iTunes.

Takeaways:

  • Sprague notes that the 2024 growing season was a great year for waterhemp.
  • Commodity prices are low but cutting back on your herbicide program can cause losses in profits.
  • A new version of the Weed Control Guide for Field Crops will be out starting December 2024. The updated version has information about newly licensed premixes for corn.
    • Included in the 2025 guide are tips for cover crop termination and choosing an herbicide program that won’t damage your cover crop.
  • Delaying herbicide application next spring can cause significant yield loss. Scout your fields and have a plan for weed escapes. If you suspect resistance, get your plants tested.

How do I comply with Bulletins Live! Two?

Bulletins Live! Two is a web-based resource, including a tool and tutorial, helping you comply with the Endangered Species Act when you are spraying pesticides. These online bulletins are currently a requirement for certain pesticide labels and will become a requirement for all pesticide labels in the future. The bulletin for each pesticide must be obtained no more than six months prior to the intended application. For more information, listen to the podcast recording from In the Weeds, visit MSU Extension's Bulletins Live! Two webpage and check out these MSU Extension articles:

Is your applicator license expired?

You can look up your categories and current credits on the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) pesticide applicator credit report.

The 2025 Pesticide Applicator Core Review and MDARD Core Testing program offers review and testing for private and commercial core, fumigation standard and ariel standard on site. Testing for additional categories will take place at the Metro Institute, with 21 locations throughout Michigan.

To purchase review materials for core and categories, visit the National Pesticide Safety Education Center.

For additional information, see “Michigan Pesticide Applicator Core Review Sessions, RUP credits and testing for winter 2024 through spring 2025” from the MSU Pesticide Safety and Education Program.

Need some credits this winter?

In person:

Online:

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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