Warrant + Valor for Weed Control in Peanut (Prostko)

As I sit in my office watching yet another rain event (April 29), I am wondering why most GA growers seem to have a passion/obsession for using Warrant in every row crop possible.   It must have something to do with the Monsanto Rewards Program.  Anyway, I have been getting a lot of questions about mixing Warrant + Valor for PRE weed control in peanut.  Here are a few random thoughts:

1) The combination of Valor + Warrant is a perfectly legal/labeled option for GA peanut growers.

2)  Using Warrant PRE (except when planting later in May in fields with a history of tropical spiderwort/Benghal dayflower) in my opinion is a waste of its residual power.  There is not a lot of evidence in peanut to suggest that Warrant + Valor is significantly better on Palmer amaranth than Valor alone (i.e. assuming starting clean and rainfall/irrigation activation).

3) Warrant is not very effective on Texas panicum. That is why I always recommend either Prowl or Sonalan in combination with Valor.   You can probably count on 1 hand the number of fields in GA that do not have Texas panicum????? OK, there might actually be more than 5 fields???

4) I believe a better fit for Warrant in early planted peanut fields is to use it in combination with POST herbicides such as Gramoxone or Cadre.  However, the current Warrant label prohibits the use of Warrant on peanuts that are flowering.  A big mistake on Monsanto’s part which I hope will be corrected in the future.

5)  Early planted peanut fields are usually subject to cooler and wetter conditions which can lead to greater injury from PRE applied residual herbicides.   Although I have not yet observed this phenomenon in the field, Valor + Warrant or Dual could be more injurious to peanut than either applied alone in the wrong situation (low vigor/germ seed, improper planting depth, heavy rainfall, high rates, etc.).

6) As indicated in a previous blog, I have not observed any real differences between Warrant and Dual Magnum when used in a peanut weed management program.  As far as I am concerned at this point, flip a coin on these two!!!  FYI, Dual is more effective on yellow nutsedge than Warrant.

Preplant Burndown Options for Peanut (Prostko)

In the last few days, I have gotten a few questions about preplant burndown options for peanuts.  Here a few thoughts to consider:

1)    Primary burndown herbicides will either be glyphosate or paraquat.  As we get closer to planting, paraquat might be preferred if a quicker burndown is needed.

2) Potential tank-mix partners with either of the above herbicides include the following:

a.    2,4-D (16 oz/A) - will help improve the control of wild radish and primrose.  Plant-back restriction for peanut based upon UGA research is 7 days.

b.    FirstShot (0.5-0.8 oz/A) - will also help improve the control of radish and primrose.  May also be useful in fields were off-target movement of 2,4-D is a concern.  Peanut plant-back restriction for FirstShot is 30 days.

c.    Aim or ET (1-2 oz/A) – either one of these herbicides can be useful in preplant burndown situations where annual morningglory plants (except smallflower) have already emerged. Aim can be applied anytime preplant up until 24 hours after planting. ET can be applied anytime preplant but before peanut emergence.

3) Growers who want to get early residual control of pigweed, especially when there is a potential long delay between application and planting, may want to include Dual Magnum (16 oz/A), Warrant (48 oz/A) or Valor (2 oz/A) in the burndown.  If Valor is used in the preplant burndown at least 30 DBP, an additional 2 oz/A can be used PRE after planting.  Valor will also help improve the POST control of radish and primrose (+10-15%).   I must admit that I would prefer either Dual or Warrant for residual control in this situation to help protect Valor from potential resistance issues.  There are no peanut plant-back restrictions for Dual or Warrant.