What do railroads, roadsides and utility substations have in common? All three are negatively impacted by the presence of invasive plant species. From impeding long-term care of roadways and jeopardizing the integrity of railway infrastructure to posing a threat to electrical transmission reliability, invasive plants can wreak havoc in more ways than one. That’s why many vegetation managers work to control them effectively, and the best approach for achieving bareground results on these sites is using the appropriate herbicides for total vegetation control (TVC).
When to Apply Total Vegetation Control Treatments
Achieving bareground results requires the application of postemergence herbicide treatments in the spring after weeds start growing and the application of preemergence treatments in the late winter or early spring. However, shifting the timing of preemergence herbicide applications to the fall can actually enhance TVC programs by providing optimum control of the broadest spectrum of weeds with a single application.
As cooler temperatures stimulate the emergence and germination of winter annuals, fall-timed TVC treatments establish a preemergence barrier. This effectively stops targeted plant species from depositing seedbeds in the soil or surviving until the spring, when they are harder to control. Spraying later in the season also provides a variety of other benefits, including:
- Enhanced control of lingering summer annuals and perennials
- Balanced workloads for applicators who normally have higher workloads in the spring
- Reduced exposure to crops and other sensitive areas
Importance of Rotating of Bareground Tank Mixes
While herbicide applications are the best approach to achieving bareground results for TVC programs, invasive plants and tough-to-control weeds often grow resistant to commonly used chemistries. It may be tempting to simply apply more herbicide each year, but overuse leads to higher per-acre treatment rates, which only result in ever-rising maintenance costs. That’s why it’s important to establish a consistent rotation of bareground tank mixes that include herbicides with unique modes of action. This approach provides multiple benefits, as it:
- Fights weed resistance and extends the effectiveness of bareground herbicides
- Delivers improved weed control to benefit the environment
- Lowers long-term maintenance costs with reduced application rates
In the past, applicators applied glyphosate multiple times each year to treat postemergence and keep application sites clear of vegetation. Unfortunately, repetitive glyphosate treatments strengthen weed resistance, which limits their effectiveness. Public scrutiny around glyphosate use also has caused many vegetation managers to explore different herbicide solutions for their TVC programs.
Using Cleantraxx® herbicide to Control Weeds
As a preferred alternative to glyphosate, Cleantraxx® herbicide from Corteva Agriscience uses two novel modes of action to provide both preemergence and postemergence control of more than 65 grass and broadleaf weeds. Tank-mixing Cleantraxx with other products such as Opensight® or Spike® 80DF herbicide provides multiple modes of action, which greatly reduces the risk of weed resistance and increases the effectiveness of targeted vegetation control applications. In fact, RWC Inc., one of the most established railroad vegetation management companies in the industry, used a tank mix featuring all three herbicide products to avoid weed resistance and tackle tough-to-control weeds like kochia, marestail and Palmer amaranth.
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