Weed Control for Winter Wheat in Spring

As the temperature gradually gets warm after a cold spell in March, the winter wheat begins to grow at a rapid rate as do weeds. It becomes critical to implement weed control.

 

 

What kind of weeds are common in wheat fields? How do you choose chemical herbicides? How do you set the parameters of an agricultural drone? What should you pay attention to while spraying with a drone? In this article, you will learn some useful tips on UAV plant protection for controlling weeds for winter wheat.

 

Weed Classification and Chemical Herbicide Selection

 

To achieve the best results, you should tailor the weed control solution to each specific situation and choose the chemical herbicides according to specific weed species.

 

 

Generally, common weeds in winter wheat fields can be divided into two groups: Poaceae weeds and broadleaf weeds.

 

Common Poaceae weeds include Alopecurus aequalis Sobol., Alopecurus japonicas Steud., Avena fatua L., Sclerochloa kengiana L., Beckmannia syzigachne (Steud.), barnyard grass, Stetaira viridis (L.) Beauv, Poa annua L., and Polypogon fugax Nees ex Steud. For these weed species, you can apply herbicides such as clodinafop-propargyl, pinoxaden, Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, and mesosulfuron-methyl.

 

Common broadleaf weeds include Descurainia Sophia, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Galium aparine L. var. tenerum, Veronica didyma Tenore, Euphorbia helioscopia L., Lithospermum arvense L., polyponum, Chenopodiaceae, Stellaria media (L.) Cyr., Lamium amplexicaule L., Silene conoidea L., Vaccaria segetalis (Neck.) Garcke, and Convolvulus arvensis L.

 

For this type of weed, the herbicides of choice are tribenuron-methyl, bensulfuron-methyl, CORTEVA crop protection herbicides, florasulam, fluroxypyr, carfentrazone-ethyl, 2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Additionally, herbicides such as isoproturon and pyroxsulam are also effective for Poaceae weeds and broadleaf weeds.

 

 

Precautions

 

As herbicides are more likely to cause phytotoxicity than other agents during the application process, here are some precautions to note while spraying chemical herbicides:

 

 

1. When the soil is relatively dry, and the wheat is not growing well, the field should be properly irrigated before being sprayed with herbicide.

 

2. Before or after heavy rain, winds above level 3 and cold weather are not suitable for spraying herbicides. After irrigating the wheat field for 3-5 days, choose a rain-free day for the spraying operation. Spray the herbicides about 1-2 days after heavy rain. Spray any time after a light rain and ensure that there will be no rain for 8-12 hours after herbicide spraying.

 

3. The best time for spraying is when the weeds are at the 2-3 leaf stage, and the wheat is at the 3-4 leaf stage. It is not recommended to spray herbicides after the wheat enters the elongation period.

 

4. Considering the impact of air temperature on the efficacy of herbicides, you are recommended to spray the herbicides when the average temperature is stable and at 8-10°C.

 

5. According to specific weed situations, choose corresponding herbicides and avoid using the same ones that have been used previously. For example, some wheat fields have become resistant to some herbicides due to the regular use of tribenuron-methyl, 2,4-D, dicamba, and others. Therefore, it is recommended to use other herbicides.

 

 

Operation Parameters

 

According to the actual operation cases of the MG series in previous years, we have worked out the following operation parameters for your reference.

 

Flight Mode	A-B Route Operation Mode	Flight Altitude	1.7-2 m
Flight Speed	4-5 m/s	Spray Width	4-4.5 m
Dosage	6-9 L/acre	Nozzle Model	XR11001VS

 

The operation parameters for the T16 will be available soon. If you have any ideas or suggestions regarding agricultural drone cases or crop protection, please contact us or leave a comment below.