Flagging Your Soybean Fields

With so many different herbicide resistant trait platforms being used in soybeans today, it is critical that farmers know which field has each trait platform when it is time to make a herbicide application. A system has been developed that helps farmers and applicators identify fields that are safe for application and those which must be avoided to prevent unintentional damage to the producer’s field or to adjacent crops. This flagging system is called “Flag the Technology.” It was developed by the University of Arkansas and is now a widely accepted practice to reduce the risk of a misapplication.

In this Crop Talk Moment, Jeff Sorenson, Legend Sales Agronomist gives a brief overview of what you need to know when flagging your fields:

Factors to Consider:

• Know what herbicide resistant soybeans you have planted in each of your fields.
• Determine what color flag is associated with which herbicide resistant trait:

  White - Technology is tolerant to glyphosate herbicides.	Yellow - Clearfield® rice, sunflowers, wheat, and canola which are tolerant to imidazolinone herbicides.
  Green - Tolerant to glufosinate herbicide, Liberty®.	Green with White Stripes - Tolerant to glyphosate and glufosinate herbicide, Liberty®.
  Black and White Checkered - Tolerant to both dicamba, Engina® and Xtendimax®, and glyphosate, Roundup Ready® 2 Xtend.	Black and White Diamonds with Green Stripe - Tolerant to dicamba, glyphosate and glufosinate.
  Teal - Tolerant to both 2, 4-D and FOP (ACCase) herbicides, or Enlist E3® technology. The white stripes indicate tolerance to glyphosate, Roundup®. For Enlist® cotton traits and soybean fields, a green flag should be added to denote tolerance to glufosinate herbicide, Liberty®.	Red - Extreme caution required. Indicates conventional crops with no herbicide tolerant traits as well as sensitive production areas such as vegetables, vineyards, apiaries and organic production.

• Being aware of which technology is planted in a field will be critical in preventing either direct spray or unwanted drift to susceptible crops.

Action Plan:

1. Farmers need to place colored flags at field entrances and borders, with each flag color representing a different kind of technology. This will make herbicide applicators aware of which products are appropriate and safe to use on a specific field.
2. In fields with stacked technology, make sure to use multiple flags if necessary.
3. Make sure that the flags are visible.
4. When getting ready to spray, make sure to double check the flags in the field before spraying to assure that the chemical in the spray tank matches the traits in that field.
5. Always read and follow label recommendations when applying any technology.

Summary:

It’s important that farmers know which fields are safe for application and which fields are sensitive. Flagging your soybean fields is a quick and inexpensive method to prevent misapplication of pesticides. It not only helps to safe guard your crops, but it can also be a warning of areas that are sensitive to potential off-target drift.