What Sort Of Herbicide Is Suitable For Sunflowers?

Sunflowers are hardy plants that can still be impacted by invasive weeds. To ensure their growth, it is essential to know what to spray on them to keep these unwanted intruders at bay. There are three major options for weed control in sunflowers: tilling or hoeing between the rows, using liquid or granular herbicides before sowing, and post-plant burndown and postemerge herbicides for grasses and broadleaves.

Sunflowers should be weed-free from the 3-leaf stage (V3) to flowering (R4-R5) to minimize yield loss potential. Cadre herbicide is one of the most effective treatments for controlling weeds in sunflowers. It contains glyphosate plus a preemergence residual herbicide to ensure limited weed competition in the early weeks after sunflower emergence. Products with sulfentrazone plus an active ingredient for grass control such as Spartan® Elite herbicide are often an effective option.

Flame weeders, often used in organic farming systems, can be very effective in controlling emerged weeds. Spraying Beyond herbicide with a soil-applied grass herbicide like Prowl® H2O can increase weed control on targeted weed. Another option for weed control in sunflowers is using weed killers safe for sunflowers or pre-emergents that won’t affect sunflower seeds.

Several herbicide options are available, including S-metolachlor, acetochlor, pendimethalin, and linuron. Group 1 graminicide herbicide options are still widely available, including clethodim products, Poast Ultra, and Assure II. Summer-growing grass weed seedlings can be controlled with a post-emergent grass selective herbicide. Growing sunflowers can be a valuable part of an integrated approach to weed control.