Soybean South February 2021

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FEBRUARY 2021

Research looks at non-chemical weed control

Give your center pivot a 5-point inspection

Give your center pivot a 5-point inspection this spring to avoid mishaps

S

pring planting is just around the corner, so for producers with irrigation systems, now is a good time to do some safety maintenance on their pivot systems, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

In the spring, producers are busy making seed selections and prepping fields, but they also need to remember how important it is to maintain center pivots, said Dr. Kevin Heflin, AgriLife Extension agronomy program specialist in Amarillo.

Annual center-pivot maintenance can enhance the efficiency of the irrigation applications as well as the safety of the system, Heflin said. While modern center pivots are safe and essential tools for agriculture production, every year there are accidents and tragedies surrounding these irrigation systems, primarily on the electrical side.

Estimates are the Texas High Plains has more than 7,500 center-pivot irrigation systems alone, Heflin said. After working with and monitoring systems over the years, he wants people to know of some simple things to look for in a safety and maintenance check that can save lives and time once the irrigation season starts.

“Some of these systems are older, so it is important to make sure to maintain them and look for potential problem areas,” he said.

Heflin recommends monitoring these five things:

} 1. General maintenance issues. Tires, lug nuts, truss rods and brackets, and gear motors are all things that need visual inspections.

“For example, a loose bracket can cause an entire center pivot to fall; a bad tire in the middle of watering can shut down the whole system.” } 2. Storm damage from wind and lightning.

“Vibrations from strong winds can loosen and fatigue metals.

Also, lightning can damage the electrical components, so look for singe marks on electrical panels or a blown transformer on the power pole. Lightning strikes can also damage fuse boxes and cause the metal components to energize and become deadly.”

} 3. Rodent damage in and around electrical boxes.

“Just look for chewed wires that will need to be replaced before the system can be operational. If rats or field mice can find a way into an electrical box, they will often chew the coating off the wires. This could lead to a system malfunction and increase the risk of electrical shock.” } 4. Improper grounding.

“Make sure the center pivot itself is grounded, and the electrical box and transformers are grounded. Safety is primary.

The cost of a grounding rod and wire is about $20, pretty cheap to ensure everyone’s safety. We make sure we put them at the pivot control panel and the electrical disconnect boxes. The power company will provide grounding for the transformers supplying the three-phase power.” } 5. Vandalism, such as the stripping of copper wire from these systems.

“It’s better to go ahead and do the visual and conscious inspection now than to wait until it is time to turn the system on and find the issues.”

Heflin said producers should also ensure electrical boxes are relatively clean and fuses/breakers are properly sized for the voltage and amps being used. He also said it might be good to have a certified electrician inspect the terminal lugs in the electrical boxes to ensure they are tight and making good contact with the wires.

“Also, if you have repairs made to the center pivot or well, go back in and inspect the work,” Heflin said. “We’ve found buried conduit line that was damaged by a contractor and taped up with black tape and reburied without our knowledge. This type of carelessness can lead to an electrical failure, or even worse, a loss of life.”

These routine maintenance and safety inspections do not have to be overly burdensome, he said. And they are worth the time and effort now to prevent breakdowns and tragedies down the road.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension contributed this article.

VICKY BOYD

There are some simple things to look for in a safety and maintenance check that can save lives and time once the irrigation season gets underway.

Cover photo by Vicky Boyd

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12/21/20 9:06 AM

Research looks at non-chemical technology to kill weeds

I

f it’s a weed, spray it. That’s the mindset that most in the agricultural industry held for years.

That thinking no longer works as more weeds become resistant to herbicides, said Kevin Bradley, University of Missouri Extension weed scientist.

Bradley uses waterhemp as an example. Waterhemp is one of 14 herbicide-resistant weed species in Missouri. It is a prolific producer of seeds, and Bradley considers it Missouri’s most worrisome weed.

“It’s clear that we need a new approach,” he said.

Non-chemical control

MU Extension researchers are looking at how to remove weeds without herbicides. One non-chemical method is electrocution. The Weed Zapper, made in Sedalia, Missouri, is used mostly in organic operations, but it may also work in conventional pasture and row crops. Mizzou has used the Weed Zapper on test plots and saw 98.6% effectiveness in waterhemp destruction.

The Weed Zapper’s copper boom attaches to the front of a tractor and hits weeds with 15,000 volts of electricity from a 110,000-watt generator on Three days after weed electrocution the back of the tractor. over R5 soy looked good. Three weeks later — smaller waterhemp Bradley notes that finally broke through canopy cover. the Weed Zapper can be Can we electrocute these plants dangerous because of its without injuring the soybean to voltage. It also can have a minimize the amount of waterhemp negative effect on soybean seed returning to the soil? We’ll see. yield if a lot of the foliage is contacted by the boom in later growth stages.

Its effects are immediate and deadly, especially on larger weeds. It works best when used at seven-day intervals rather than in a single pass.

It is most effective on waterhemp, ragweeds, horseweeds and cocklebur. It is less effective on foxtail and barnyardgrass.

“It’s not a silver bullet, but it is very effective on several of our most troublesome weed species,” Bradley said.

Narrow-windrow burning

Commonly used in Australia, narrow-windrow burning poses a viable option for commons weeds, including Palmer amaranth, barnyardgrass, johnsongrass, pitted morningglory, prickly sida, Italian ryegrass, sicklepod, velvetleaf and hemp sesbania.

Several universities, including Louisiana State University, the University of Arkansas and MU, are comparing how these alternative non-chemical control measures affect weed populations.

The narrow-windrow burning system is simple and is the most effective harvest weed seed control tactic, according to

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PHOTOS COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI WEED SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

How effective are narrow-windrow burning, weed seed grinding and/or weed electrocution on reducing the weed seed that returns to the soil? We’re running side-by-side evaluations.

University of Arkansas researchers. The inexpensive system uses a chute mounted on the rear of a combine that concentrates the chaff into a narrow row. The base of the chute is generally 16 to 18 inches wide.

Immediately following formation, the rows should be burned.

Burning the entire field is not as effective in killing the weed seeds as burning the chaff in the windrows.

The concentration of the chaff increases the temperature and duration of burning, which leaves less loss of residue versus traditional burning. Unlike other combine add-ons, this system does not slow harvest.

In soybeans, narrow-windrow burning has been shown to reduce escaped Palmer amaranth by 73% and the soil seedbank by 62% over three years, according to research led by UArk’s Dr. Jason Norsworthy.

Seed Terminator

Another option is the Seed Terminator. This seed control tool attaches to the back of a combine. Its dual hammer mills crush the chaff through stationary and rotating bars to make it nonviable.

Bradley says there is a need for more research to understand how new technologies can best reduce weeds in U.S. soybeans.

Seed destruction is popular in Australia but not widely used in the United States.

Weeds such as waterhemp, Missouri’s No. 1 weed, can exit the combine in areas such as the header and grain tank. In fact, Bradley said about two-thirds of the seed goes out the back of the combine. Multi-state studies are underway to look at how to reduce the number of seeds making it to the soil.

It might take several seasons of use to see substantial reductions, Bradley said.

Most seed that goes through the combine, even pinhead-sized waterhemp and palmer amaranth seeds, becomes nonviable.

Increased engine load on the combine raises fuel consumption an average of 4.1 gallons per hour.

Funding for this research project comes from the Seed Terminator, Mizzou Weed Science, United Soybean Board, Missouri Soybeans and Case IH Agriculture.

Graduate students Travis Winans and Haylee Schreier worked with Bradley on the research.

The University of Missouri contributed information for this article.

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