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Hoorman Soil Health Services

  After a wet and late planted spring, crops and weeds are starting to grow. Spraying weeds is important for getting good yields and reducing weed competition. Many farmers use commercial applicators to spray their fields, but a lot of farmers do it themselves or have applicators for spot spraying. There are factors that affect herbicide performance. Water quality; water pH; the temperature of the water, air, and soil; type and volume of water; size of weeds; and even time of day can impact herbicide effectiveness. In the Midwest, Purdue University is a leader on improving herbicide performance. For anyone spraying herbicides the following publications are a must read. PPP-86: The Impact of Water Quality on Pesticide Performance. PPP-107: Adjuvants and the Power of Spray Droplets. PPP-112: Water Temperature and Herbicide Performance. PPP-115: Compendium of Herbicide Adjuvants which explains how to prevent water minerals from tying up herbicides. Here are some tip: Check your wat...

  Farmers are making significant progress on planting but some areas are well behind. May 2025 has been the second coldest May on record. Between cold, wet, windy conditions; farmers are managing to get crops planted. Some areas have received over 7 inches of rain, just in the month of May and these farmers are way behind getting crops planted. However; soil microbes, plants, and humans would benefit from more sunlight, warmth, and adequate moisture. On the weather front, the polar vortex from the arctic region has been dipping down into the Midwest, bringing cold air, wind, and some moisture. La Nina events may be starting to fade, but it’s allowing the colder conditions to persist. Added to that situation, dry conditions in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada are fueling wildfires and smoke which is further reducing sunlight in the USA Midwestern States. When it is cold, microbes do not reproduce as quickly. Microbes double their population every 10°F increase in temperature abov...