Announcement of Final Thesis Defense Crop and Soil Science M.S. Degree: Ian Waldecker
April 1, 2025 9:00AM - 10:00AM
PSSB A271 Conference Room
DEVELOPING WEED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN TRUVERA SUGARBEET AND DESSICATION STRATEGIES IN SOYBEAN
Members of the Examining Committee and their Department:
- Dr. Christy Sprague - Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
- Dr. Erin Burns - Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
- Dr. Maninder Singh - Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
- Dr. Christina DiFonzo – Department of Entomology
ABSTRACT
Weed management is one of the most challenging facets of sugarbeet production. ‘Truvera’ is a new herbicide-resistant sugarbeet trait package with resistance to dicamba, glufosinate, and glyphosate. Six site-years of field experiments were established to evaluate crop tolerance and weed control of 15 herbicide programs that included dicamba and glufosinate in comparison with current weed management programs in glyphosate-resistant (GR) sugarbeet. GR waterhemp control was 90% or greater in herbicide programs with at least two postemergence (POST) applications of glufosinate or dicamba tank-mixed with acetochlor, 49% greater than the current strategy for GR waterhemp control. Additionally, herbicide programs with POST dicamba followed by (fb.) glufosinate also provided good waterhemp control. GR horseweed control was 95% or greater from herbicide programs that contained at least two applications of an effective POST (glufosinate, dicamba, or clopyralid). Truvera sugarbeet provides growers with two additional herbicide options that will improve control of several problematic weed species, including GR weeds, and protect profitability in sugarbeet production. Variable fall weather patterns can delay harvest of early planted longer maturity group (MG) soybeans resulting in potential yield loss. Field research was conducted over four site-years to evaluate two preharvest desiccation timings (early, label) of the harvest aids paraquat, saflufenacil, and sodium chlorate on typical and late MG soybeans for soybean desiccation, yield, seed quality, and seed dry down. Early applications of paraquat and sodium chlorate improved soybean desiccation by as much as 26% compared with nontreated soybean, however desiccation was only improved between 3-9% at the label timing. Applications of harvest aids resulted in soybean yield losses of 8 and 9% in 2 two out of four site-years. The risk of soybean yield loss from harvest aid applications may outweigh potential benefits from accelerated maturity.
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