“Cracking” Time Again on Peanuts (Prostko)
Many peanut growers are in the field right now making “cracking” applications of paraquat (whether they really need it or not?). I always get tons of questions about product use rates. Check out these pictures from earlier today. These are rates I have been testing for years and they work pretty much all the time (when applied to small weeds 1″-3″). Higher rates and later applications, especially in dryland fields, can push a peanut plant’s paraquat tolerance to its limits.
A few other thoughts:
1) If grower wants to use the 3 lb/gal formulation of paraquat (i.e. Helmquat or Gramoxone 3SL), the normal application rate in these tank-mixtures is 8 oz/A (0.1875 lb ai/A).
2) If a grower wants to use Basagran 4SL (bentazon) instead of Storm 4SL (bentazon + acifluorfen), I would suggest using 8 oz/A of Basagran 4SL.
3) If a grower wants to make his own Storm, I would suggest the combination of Ultra Blazer 2SL @ 16 oz/A + Basagran 4SL @ 8 oz/A.
4) I am not a huge fan of using paraquat + Dual Magnum or any other Group 15 herbicide without some Basagran or Storm to cool it down some on the peanut plant.
5) No adjuvants are needed when Dual Magnum or Outlook are used (i.e. oil-based formulations) but NIS @ 0.25% v/v (1 qt/100 gallons) is suggested when using Anthem Flex, Warrant, or Zidua.
More on Peanut Weed Control- Prostko
Peanut growers will be making the decision to spray or not spray an early-postemergence (cracking) herbicide. If the peanut field was clean at planting and a strong residual herbicide program was used (activated with moisture), it is very likely that a cracking spray will not be needed. See below (i.e. no weeds in my standard PRE program at 12 DAP):
My general recommendations for early-postemergence (cracking) treatments in peanut are as follows:
a) Either paraquat (2 lb/gal) @ 12 oz/A or paraquat (3 lb/gal) @ 8 oz/A + either Storm @ 16 oz/A or Basagran @ 8 oz/A + one Group 15 herbicide [either Anthem Flex @ 3 oz/A or Dual Magnum @ 16 oz/A or Outlook @ 12.8 oz/A or Warrant @ 48 oz/A or Zidua @ 2.5 oz/A (liquid)].
Generally, I have no preference between the Group 15’s when my suggested PRE/EPOST/POST peanut weed control programs are followed.
b) Add NIS @ 0.25 v/v when using Anthem Flex, Warrant, or Zidua.
c) If need be, growers can make their own Storm (I call it Georgia Storm), by tank-mixing Ultra Blazer (16 oz/A) + Basagran (8 oz/A). This is a slightly different rate than what is applied with current commercial Storm formulation @ 16 oz/A (equivalent to Ultra Blazer @ 11 oz/A + Basagran @ 11 oz/A).
d) Use at least 15 GPA and pressure/nozzle configurations to produce medium to coarse droplets (236-403 microns). Medium/coarse droplets are yellow and green on this chart.
e) Excessive dust caused by dry weather and tractors driven at Warp Speed 10 will reduce the effectiveness of paraquat.
