Exploring New Technologies for Integrated Management of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds in Soybean in the North Central Region: Research & Extension

Palmer amaranth and waterhemp are two of the most difficult and costly weeds in soybean fields. They have become resistant to several herbicides, which means farmers are spending more money on chemicals and still not getting good weed control. This project will test new technologies and strategies across six states to improve weed control and reduce herbicide inputs, saving farmers time and money.

Project objectives include:

• Testing a new soybean variety, Vyconic, which is resistant to five different herbicides, to see how it stands up to the herbicides under high weed pressure.
• Testing the Ecorobotix ARA sprayer, which uses cameras and AI to limit herbicide use to spray only weeds rather than an entire field.
• Exploring overlapping residual herbicides. The team will test multiple herbicides applied to the soil at the right time to stop weed growth before they start, rather than spraying the weeds after they are growing.
• Testing the “see and till” robot, which locates individual weeds and tills in only these areas without disturbing the whole field.
• Performing economic analyses across all treatments to determine cost-effectiveness and return-on-investment.

Project results will be shared through outreach materials at field days and extension events.

This research will benefit soybean farmers by improving the effectiveness, affordability, and sustainability of weed management systems. By evaluating new herbicide-resistant soybean technologies, such as Vyconic, along with innovative strategies like overlapping residual herbicides, farmers will have solutions to control problematic herbicide-resistant weeds such as Palmer amaranth and waterhemp, which can cause significant soybean yield losses.