Later planting season gives North Dakota farmers shorter window to spray crops

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Farmers have a shorter window to spray chemicals this year because of the late planting season.

After farmers plant their crops, the next step is to spray for weeds. This year they’re spraying with less time and larger weeds.

“While the weeds are a little bigger than normal because we’re a couple of weeks behind schedule, late spring, spring is a challenge every year. I mean, the weeds are there to deal with the mother nature of the course of temperature and trying to get it all done in a few days,” said Brad Fisher, farmer.

Clayton Haas with Direct Ag Supply in Mandan said supply chain issues made it hard to get many chemicals in 2022, but this year they’re cheaper and more accessible. There are different issues this year.

“So the biggest thing we’re seeing is the emergence of weeds that are a little bigger than normal. So we’re having to adjust a lot of our chemicals that we’re using more money kind of being spent on it,” said Haas.

Weeds are an issue every year for producers, Haas said some methods can help.

“If you can get into a rotation that’s going to help you tremendously and just control weeds that are a problem, fall burn downs. We don’t seem to have enough time to do in this part of the world and actually a little bit of light tillage,” said Haas.

He said a spring burndown is an effective form of weed control, but many farmers didn’t have time this year because of delayed planting.

“So typically in a burndown growers are out there before the crop is seeded. We’re getting chemical on it’s gonna help with that first flush, everything’s gonna be gone crop comes up with our competition. You’re saving moisture and fertilizer yield. That’s the biggest reason why you want to be doing it,” said Haas.

He said Kochia and Marestail are going to be bad this year because they are resistant to a lot of chemicals.

If they don’t get rid of the weeds it will be hard on their yields.