This is the sugar beet report, bringing you the latest information from NDSU throughout the sugar beet growing season. Sugar beet planting is nearly upon us. Thinking about weed control now can have big benefits according to Tom Peters, NDSU and University of Minnesota extension sugar beet agronomist. Tom, we're very early in the season. What's going on right now?

Well, at this point, Bruce, we haven't planted anything. Our growers are waiting, and I suspect in the next week or ten days, we're gonna make a lot of progress. But we're only at the beginning of the 2025 season.

Are there any new products in 2025?

I'd love to stand here today, Bruce, and tell you that we have a new product, a new weed control miracle, but we don't have that. So the products that we are going to be using in 2025 are the same products that we've used in previous years. The success that we're going to have in 2025 is in terms of how we use these products to make sure we use them in a timely manner, use the correct rates that match to our sugar beet stage and the environmental conditions.

Tom, what advice do you have for growers?

Two things. So one is preparation. The second is scouting, timely scouting. So on preparation, I think there's been an adage that we plant and then we do other operations. In today's day and age we have to plant our crop and make our pre emergence pesticide application at the same time. So we have to integrate those two activities together. And the reason we have to do that is because successful weed control is timely application of our pesticides. And then on the scouting side, we're back to that era where the size of the weed is very, very important to the control of the weed. So careful scouting, scouting to know the size of the weeds, especially when they're very small, is going to be critical to having a successful weed management season.

Waterhemp is almost always in the conversation. What's your waterhemp control strategy?

It seems like waterhemp is something we talk about a lot, and it is. It's our most important weed control target in sugar beets and as in previous years Bruce, we're going to be using a one-two-three approach. So we're going to start with a pre emergence herbicide or a combination of pre emergence herbicides. We're going to follow that up with two in season post emergence applications and that'll include Roundup herbicide and then a soil residual herbicide that'll work on waterhemp control.

Tom, any final thoughts?

I wanna make sure our listeners contact me if they have questions. The invitation is open. If you have a question about a topic area, weed control, or any other agronomic practice, call me. I wanna visit with you. Don't worry about the day of the week or time of the day. Call me.

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