2022 Corn & Soybean Herbicide Programs: New Opportunities to Consider

Tractor applying herbicide to open field

Corn Insights:

As we head into 2022, we are focused on finding alternatives to high dollar herbicides like glyphosate. In recent years, the trend has been to use glyphosate products due to their lower price-points but the current market is causing us to evaluate lower-cost, yet equally effective, herbicides. Conventional herbicide programs provide Wells Ag Supply and you the opportunity to avoid reliance on the large-scale manufacturers and foreign countries leading the monopoly in these price increases. Conventionals also allow you to spend your herbicide dollar most effectively.

We’ve evaluated and seen success from several conventional corn herbicide programs. Attached here is an insert outlining our recommendations.

Soybean Insights:Jug of Liberty herbicide

2022 looks to be a good year to apply full rates of pre-emerge programs on your fields to help ease the cost of more expensive post-emerge programs. As you make your seed purchases, we highly recommend not buying Liberty® or GTLL soybeans unless your Liberty® products are already lined up. The supply of Liberty® is currently estimated at 90% of what it was in 2021 and will be especially hard to secure if you are a first time buyer.

Keeping all of these points in mind, we would suggest going with an Xtend®Flex or Enlist® soybean. Xtend®, Engenia® and Enlist® are not unlimited but they are more readily in supply than Liberty®. Consider programs that don’t require glyphosate use – again, to save money but also to decrease reliance on China. Unlike corn, the only soybean options to kill grass are Clethodim 2E or Fusilade® DX. If Clethodim 2E is used, we recommend 12-16 oz/ acre and you’ll save half the price of a quart of glyphosate.

Want more specifics on soybean herbicide programs for 2022? Reach out to our team for more details. We’re ready to recommend the best for your fields and your budget.

With this current market of product shortages and volatility, it brings a favorite quote to mind: “Accept challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” -George S. Patton

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