For Release July 28, 1998

Treat Field Bindweed Now

AGRI-VIEWS
by Chuck Otte, County Extension Agricultural Agent

I was driving up to Marshall county about 10 days ago to judge at their fair. I was absolutely amazed at the numbers of pretty white blossoms I was seeing in the wheat stubble fields. Then I started looking around Geary County and saw a lot of the same. Then last week it started raining. Boy did it start raining. I doubt if there is a part of the county that has gotten less than four or five inches in the past week. That means that not only is the bindweed going to be growing real good, but just about everything is going to get started.

But this isn’t bad. Let’s get that volunteer wheat and every other seed out there germinated and growing so we can get them controlled. If you remember back a few weeks I talked about controlling perennial weeds like bindweed. This is the time to get started on it. You want a fair amount of growth and you want to treat it with a systemic herbicide. Generally that’s going to narrow down your choices to 2,4-D, Banvel, Roundup or Tordon. Which one you choose will depend on what else you need to do.

First of all is it a no-till field? If it is do you have a lot of grass you want to control with your herbicide. If so then Roundup with Banvel or 2,4-D. The Roundup will get the grasses and help with the bindweed and other broadleaf weeds, but the Banvel and 2,4-D will be doing most of the bindweed control. Depending on how soon you can get in and spray it may be necessary to make a second treatment before planting, probably around the 15th or 20th of September. Plan to apply 2 weeks prior to planting if you have more weeds to control. This program will also work if you are going to any crop next spring in a no-till program. If you want to keep down other weed growth this fall there are some additional herbicide options, give me a call for details.

If you are in no-till and at this point all you have are broadleaf weeds to control, then 2,4-D or Banvel alone or tank mixed will work just fine. You could also mix 2,4-D with Tordon if you are going back into wheat this fall. The Tordon needs to go on no later than 45 days prior to wheat planting.

If you are going to be tilling later this summer or fall prior to wheat harvest or in preparation for spring planting, then 2,4-D and/or Banvel would be your best and cheapest choice. One condition though. If you do have a lot of volunteer, and with the recent rains I suspect we will see a lot of volunteer, you need to get that volunteer destroyed two weeks prior to any nearby fields being planted to wheat.

Do not disturb the bindweed for several weeks prior to spraying. You want lots of leaf area to absorb the herbicide. Once you spray the bindweed it is very important to leave it alone for ten to fourteen days. You want all that chemical to have lot’s of time to be absorbed into the roots where it can do maximum damage. If you do want to till the field you can do so after the vines have turned crispy brown. If you get quite a few resprouts or new seedlings another herbicide treatment can be applied this fall prior to wheat planting in wheat fields or up until hard freeze (usually in late October) for fields to be planted to spring crops.

How about using just periodic tillage to control bindweed. It can be done, BUT you have to watch the field and till 17 days after the first new regrowth appears above ground. If you do this consistently you can fairly well control a stand of bindweed in four to five years. Even if you use herbicides, though, plan on a two to three year regimen to get all the plants and seedlings.

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