Proceedings 2006

Indiana Certified Crop Adviser Conference

Soil Properties and Herbicide Behavior

Herbicides with soil activity are still an important component of weed control in corn and soybean. These may include both PRE applied herbicides and POST applied herbicides with soil activity. The interaction of soil properties, water, and application timing affects efficacy, crop response, and potential for carryover. In this presentation I will discuss the following topics:

• The basics of soil interactions with herbicides
• Efficacy of fall-applied herbicides
• Carryover potential as affected by herbicide, soil, and climatic conditions
• Value of residual control in total post systems

Dr. Bill Simmons is Professor and Assistant Dean for Academic Programs in the Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences College at the University of Illinois. Unique responsibilities including facilitating course and curricular development and revision for the College of ACES, leadership responsibility for ACES 100, the freshman Discovery courses, and honors programs in the college, coordinating the JBT undergraduate research program which fosters student interest in scholarly research by providing funding for scholarships and research projects, and serving as the distance learning contact for academic programs. He teaches the College Introductory course to approximately 600 freshmen and also has taught Introductory Soil Science. Dr. Simmons started a research and extension career at the University of Illinois in 1987 following completion of his Ph.D. at North Carolina State University. He also earned a B.S. degree from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. from Oregon State University. Dr Simmons’ research has focused on environmental behavior of herbicides and nitrogen in agronomic systems. He has also been extensively involved in training certified crop advisers (CCA) across the Midwest. His teaching and presentation honors include the College of ACES, College Faculty Award for Excellence in Extension, the Mid-America Croplife Association (MACA), Educator of the Year, and the College of ACES, John Clyde and Henrietta Downey Spitler Teaching Award.