Purdue News
Purdue News
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March 2, 2004 Newest version of WeedSOFT availableWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A software program that helps farmers make weed management decisions has some upgrades that make it an even more valuable tool. Bill Johnson, Purdue University Extension Service weed scientist, said WeedSOFT 2004 includes new learning modules, seed and herbicide tank mix calculators and other updates. "WeedSOFT is a computerized weed management decision aid that takes printed weed guides to the next level," he said. This is the second year the system has been available to Hoosier farmers, but it's the first year that a feature called EnviroFX has been included in the Indiana version. Johnson said EnviroFX can be used to determine the environmental impact of specific herbicide treatments. "If a producer is concerned about herbicides getting into groundwater and knows of a couple of products that are effective on the weeds in a specific field, he can use EnviroFX to determine which product would be safer to use," he said. The cost of the WeedSOFT program has been lowered to $50 to make it accessible to more farmers, Johnson said. "That's a good price for a program that gives customized treatment options and costs for dozens of common weeds and their potential to reduce crop yields," he said. "The program also provides color pictures of over 60 weeds common to Indiana and contains electronic learning modules to educate users about weed-crop competition, the influence of soils on herbicide persistence and other topics." Other updates include: • Recommendations for herbicide-resistant crops. • Recommendations based on crop rotation restrictions. • An increase in the number of weeds a user can enter. • Easier changes to weed parameters. • The ability to select weed densities by category, density ranges or weed counts. WeedSOFT incorporates information from seven land-grant universities, including Purdue, the universities of Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin, Michigan State University and Kansas State University. The program includes ADVISOR, a diagnostic and treatment calculator; WeedVIEW, a photo database of 64 prevalent weeds; and EnviroFX. Johnson said the software is easy to use. Farmers using WeedSOFT for their herbicide decisions will need to know their soil pH, soil type, and weed identity and density. Ordering information is available at the WeedSOFT Web site, by phone at (402) 472-1547 or by mail at WeedSOFT, P.O. Box 830915, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915. Upgrades for previous users are available for $40. Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu Source: Bill Johnson, (765) 494-494-4656, wgjohnso@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu Related Web site:
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