This is the sugar beet report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season. We're about halfway through the weed treatment season for sugar beet. Tom Peters, NDSU and University of Minnesota extension sugar beet agronomist, has three ideas for controlling waterhemp escapes. Tom, now that UltraBlazer is available, what's the best way to use it in sugar beet?

Bruce, I like to use UltraBlazer at 16 fluid ounces, and I like to apply it with nonionic surfactant. We're not recommending Roundup this year because we saw the combination of Roundup and Ultra Blazer generally was too injurious to sugar beets. So make sure sugar beets are at least at the six leaf stage and also be mindful of the air temperature on the day of application. We see more efficacy on sugar beets, more damage when air temperatures are greater than 80 degrees. It's a lot easier to kill waterhemp when it's less than four inches tall as compared to greater than four inches tall. One word of caution, there are PPO or Ultra Blazer resistant weeds out there, so make sure your populations are sensitive to the PPO herbicides before you use Ultra Blazer.

Are there alternatives to Ultra Blazer?

There are, and I think our growers are well aware of the inter row field cultivator. Most of our cultivators either have a sweep shovel or they have a tine style shovel. I find that the sweep shovel doesn't go as deep into the soil so there's less concern about exposing soil that isn't treated with our residual herbicides. If you're using the Tine style shovel, aware that you might be bringing up fresh soil that would be untreated. If you're throwing dirt into the whirl of sugar beet, that could lead to some rhizoctonia problems. You might want to consider using a quadrice application if you're also cultivating.

What about electric weeders?

Yeah, electricity is becoming more common now, Bruce. We're seeing more of the electric weeders. The one that we're seeing is called the weed zapper. Now here's the thing with the electricity. The weeds have to be taller than the plant canopy so that means we're using them later in the season. It's almost like the weed control of last resort. In our research we found that two passes work maybe seven days apart and the reason for that is weeds generally grow at different heights. You'll get the first group and then seven days later you can get a second group. How well you kill weeds is dependent on the weed species and how well the electricity is moving through the plants. So generally it's easier to kill waterhemp than kochia with the electric weeder. And conditions where we have good movement of electricity, so plants that are very turgid or after a rain event, usually allows the electricity to travel deeper into the stem of the plant.

Tom, what if I choose to ignore weed escapes?

Bruce, I was a student in the Intro to Agronomy classes in the 1970s. And we used to teach at that time to target 85% or 90% weed control. In those days we didn't have resistant weeds so the idea was, well, you'll get those weeds next season when you're making your sprays. In an era of resistant weeds, we try to target complete control. We want to get every weed and the reason is we have fewer options and we want to be concerned about weeds that are in the soil year after year. I'll give an example. Waterhemp seed is viable for four to six years. So when it makes seed in 2025, it's something you're gonna have to deal with in 02/1930. I would prefer that you try to control your weeds rather than to leave them to make seed.

Thanks, Tom. Our guest has been Tom Peters, NDSU and University of Minnesota extension sugar beet agronomist. This has been the sugar beet report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season.