Always Read and Follow Label Directions

Always Read and Follow Label Directions is the phrase you follow when applying herbicides. Yes the label that comes with all pesticides must be followed and contains valuable information. Sometimes you read the label even though you may have used the herbicide for many years. That is what happened today. I was applying a herbicide that was approved for sweet corn and soybeans. It could be applied either pre-emergence or post emergence.

The question that occurred to me this morning was, I had never applied this herbicide before when it was 95 degrees this early in the growing season!. The Label on some herbicides I use on soybeans in late June say it should not be applied when the temperature is above 85 degrees. So, I looked over the label, all 50 pages and could not find any restrictions on high temperatures. Then I looked over the label a second time just to make sure I did not miss a section on temperature restrictions!

There were no restrictions on applications during temperatures at 95 degrees or higher. So I applied the herbicide on my sweet corn and soybeans that were just emerging from the soil. It should be ok, because I read and followed the label directions!