How Combine Cleanout Impacts the Weed Seedbank
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Time is of the essence during harvest season, which can sometimes mean combine cleanout gets put on the backburner. However, taking 20 to 30 minutes to perform this task between each field can save you time and money in the long run, says Justin McCollough, market development specialist, Corteva Agriscience.
Any combine will store up to 150 pounds of biomaterial — including chaff, grain and weed seed — during harvest.
“Bringing these weed seeds to a new field can significantly increase the weed seedbank very quickly, especially when we’re dealing with prolific weeds such as waterhemp,” McCollough says. “A single waterhemp plant is known to produce anywhere from 35,000 to 200,000 seeds in a growing season.”
McCollough has worked with many growers facing new weed challenges in one or multiple new fields. Often, these new weed populations are found in direct correlation with how the combine operated in the field, and the weed pressure reflects the field harvested prior.
“Without proper combine cleaning between fields, harvest operations can change the weed pressure in a field year over year,” he says.
The good news is that there are several resources available to help you with this task, and most of the work can be performed with a cordless leaf blower and/or shop vacuum.
McCollough recommends the following combine cleanout resources:
- Combine Cleanout Steps – University of Maryland
- Procedures for a Complete Combine Cleaning – University of Michigan
- Video: How to Clean a Combine to Limit the Spread of Weed Seeds – University of Wisconsin
Additional Measures to Minimize Weed-Seed Movement
To further limit the risk of weed-seed movement, McCollough recommends scouting weed species escapes at harvest and getting a head start on next year’s weed control program.
“The best way to reduce the chance of spreading weed seed by a combine is to not allow the weeds to go to seed in the first place,” he says. “Weed escapes happen, but your best defense is a powerful weed control program that includes multiple, effective modes of action.”
Consult your local Corteva Agriscience representative or crop protection retailer to find the right products for your acres.
Always read and follow label directions.
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