Julie Jones  |   February 13, 2012

Thirty years ago I began attending University of Nebraska’s Crop Protection Clinics.  They are now called Crop Production Clinics. 

I thought it would be of interest to go back to the 1982 agenda and see how the pest control topics have changed in the past 30 years.

Some of the hard to control weeds that were discussed were velvetleaf, nightshades, shattercane and sandbur in the row crops.  In soybeans the herbicides were limited to the dinitroanilines such as Treflan and Prowl and chloroacetamides such as Lasso and Dual.  Newer post emerge products Blazer and Basagran were discussed for hard to control weeds like pigweed and velvetleaf.

New post grass and volunteer corn control products for soybeans such as Fusilade and Poast were just being introduced.  Rope wick technology was a popular topic for applying Roundup for volunteer corn control in soybeans.

The thiocarbamates were being used for grass and more importantly shattercane control in corn.  However, they were being broken down rapidly in the soil by microbes if used continuously.  An “extender” was being introduced in the Eradicane and called Eradicane Extra.

A new sulfonylurea mode of action herbicide, Glean, was newly being used for broadleaf control in winter wheat.  The ALS herbicides would increase greatly in number after this early introduction, along with numerous weed resistant species.

More of these “older” products are now being used again in combinations for resistant management on the glyphosate resistant crops.  Weed resistance is forcing more growers and crop advisors to adjust weed control recommendations.

Corn rootworm was a major insect to control in continuous corn.  Soil applied insecticides such as Counter, Dyfonate, Furadan, Amaze and Lorsban granules were used.   Interestingly, now some of the granular products are coming back in use because of the resistance development of the rootworm Bt traits in corn.

Corn lethal necrosis and stalk rot were the diseases most commonly discussed.  Goss’ wilt was important 30 years ago and is even more an issue now.  The need for proper hybrid selection is important especially now with the high amount of residue in the fields from strip till and no till production systems.

Even with all the genetically altered corn and soybeans products in the past 15-20 years, weed, insect, and disease management is as much of a challenge now as 30 years ago.  Crop consulting advice is even more valuable for efficient crop production.

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