Summary:
The basis for timing of many weed control operations is seedling emergence. However, weeds rarely, if ever, emerge in a synchronous and uniform flush. Instead, they emerge in "fits and starts," depending upon weather, soil, and management conditions. Recently developed computer software permits site-specific prediction of weed emergence and early seedling growth using on-farm weather data. Armed with this information, producers and crop consultants can estimate current weed emergence on a daily basis. They also can forecast forthcoming emergence. The software is sensitive to tillage system and soil type. Consequently, the variability of emergence, due to these factors, across fields can be estimated easily. Recognition of the asynchrony in timing of weed emergence helps producers and consultants make better management decisions for spatially variable fields.
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