Purdue News
Purdue News
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May 4, 2001 Purdue weed control book returns with timely informationWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A once-annual weed control manual is back after a three-year absence. The new publication, "2001 Weed Control Guidelines for Indiana," was produced by experts in Purdue University's Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and Purdue Extension of Adams County. The 64-page book provides farmers with information about effective herbicides to use in their corn, soybean and alfalfa fields, said Case Medlin, a Purdue Cooperative Extension Service weed specialist and the publication's project leader. "It ranks pre-emergence and postemergence products, lists herbicide rates and contains rotational crop restrictions," Medlin said. "There also are quick reference tables, if there's a specific weed a farmer is trying to control." Other sections cover herbicide application, herbicide-resistant crops and weeds, adjuvants and additives, tips on sprayer calibration/cleaning, herbicide and soil pH interactions, and herbicide chemical action categories. "We wanted to bring this information together so farmers wouldn't have to look four or five places for it," Medlin said. While specific products are named, the authors do not endorse one herbicide over another, he said. Purdue published an annual weed control book until 1997, when a key project specialist left the university. Medlin said he's wanted to revive the manual ever since he joined the Purdue staff in 1999. Simply updating information was a monumental task. "You can imagine all the changes in herbicides in just a couple of years," Medlin said. For instance, the number of herbicide products is smaller this year than in 2000, he said. Chemical company mergers and the consolidation of similar product lines resulted in more herbicides being dropped than introduced into the market. Farmers may peruse "2001 Weed Control Guidelines for Indiana" at county Extension offices. Because there is a limited supply of printed copies available for ordering, farmers are encouraged to download the book online. Purdue weed specialists Tom Bauman and Merrill Ross, and Adams County Extension educator Steven Siegelin also contributed to the book. Some herbicide information was furnished by Ohio State University and the universities of Illinois and Kentucky. Sources: Case Medlin, (765) 494-0599; medlin@btny.purdue.edu Tom Bauman, (765) 494-4625; bauman@btny.purdue.edu Writer: Steve Leer, (765) 494-8415; sleer@aes.purdue.edu Other sources: Merrill Ross, (765) 494-4621; ross@btny.purdue.edu Steven Siegelin, (219) 724-3000; steve.siegelin@ces.purdue.edu
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