I have had a few questions about using Liberty in cotton weed control programs. Growers need to preserve this technology because it will play a key role in weed control programs in the foreseeable future. It is important to use residual herbicides in Liberty based programs and growers should try to only make two applications of Liberty per year. Lets discuss some points to consider when applying Liberty herbicide.
1. Liberty needs to applied in a timely manner!! Palmer amaranth should be no larger than 3 inches. Goosegrass should be 2 inches or less at time of application. Under dry conditions, Palmer amaranth and all annual grasses should be 2 inches or less.
2. Use the right droplet size!! Liberty behaves much like a contact herbicide, so good spray coverage is necessary. Apply in a minimum of 15 GPA generating medium size spray droplets (250-350 microns). UGA weed scientist have used flat fan nozzle tips in their Liberty Link weed control research with good success.
3. Time of Day!! Research from the UGA Weed Science group has shown that time of day can have influence on Liberty. Liberty should not applied within 1.5 hrs of sunrise and 1 hour of sunset. Liberty is most effective when applied between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm.