Statewide
Huskie Herbicide Update
Huskie as an effective over-the-top weed control option in grain sorghum that became available to Texas sorghum producers in late 2012. I have reviewed Huskie in three previous Sorghum Tips. Since 2012, Bayer CropScience has updated the label in both late 2013 and late 2014. As with any new herbicide our understanding of the herbicide often evolves for a few years after release—the effectiveness of its control of numerous weeds, optimizing timing and application, potential residual/rotation issues, etc.
For a recently updated summary on Huskie that includes changes in rotation restrictions (shorter for certain small grains, other crops added), review the AgriLife Extension PowerPoint at http://lubbock.tamu.edu Key points about Huskie include:
- Bayer’s label continues to recommend the inclusion of atrazine with Huskie to improve weed control (sorghum up to 12” tall), but Huskie applications are now also labeled to 30” tall (though this may not be a good idea—see below). Follow other label suggestions for suggested additives.
- Some sorghum that is drought stressed might struggle to recover from Huskie applications, but then weeds are in the same situation thus control may be reduced.
- Some leaf burn (but not crop injury) to grain sorghum is expected with Huskie on sorghum, and although the label does not state this Bayer staff in Texas recommend the inclusion of 1pint of iron (Fe) chelate (or possibly 1 lb. of iron sulfate, not tested) with Huskie to reduce injury potential, especially under stressful conditions.
- Remember that your pre-plant/pre-emerge weed control strategy for grain sorghum remains your most important weed control decision in grain sorghum. The fact you can apply Huskie later should not be seen as an excuse to delay, and Huskie applications even if by 12” tall are no substitute; use Huskie to catch the escapes. For many producers this is a combination of Dual (metolochlor) and atrazine (or possibly propazine).
Huskie and Cotton Rotation
As noted before, AgriLife weed scientists and others in the High Plains and elsewhere, especially on sandier soils, are tracking rotation questions of Huskie-treated ground back to cotton. The label says “field bioassay.” I noted a year ago that some apparent low levels of cotton injury were observed in cotton and peanut after 2012 Huskie use in grain sorghum. In 2014 we had significant injury issues in some cotton fields in the South Plains (Lubbock) region. This included fields that were treated in 2013 with Huskie alone, eliminating possible injury concerns from atrazine.
Why the cotton injury? AgriLife weed scientists (Keeling, Dotray) who follow weed and herbicide issues in the High Plains note that most fields with significant injury were as follows: sandier soils, dryland and drip-irrigated fields (which meant reduced moisture in the soil surface), and region-wide we had bone dry soils from late summer 2013 to Memorial Day weekend 2014 which led to minimal biological/chemical degradation of Huskie residual.
Bayer staff note the Huskie label will for now remain “Field Bioassay” for cotton and a few other unlabeled crops rather than offer a rotation restriction in terms of months. It is possible that rotation to crops like cotton the following year after Huskie use might eventually include provisions (as some other herbicides do, and Huskie currently notes for alfalfa) for a combination of inches of rainfall and/or irrigation in order to plant certain rotation crops.
