At harvest, corn and soybean fields can reveal more than yield potential. They provide a timely opportunity to evaluate whether the weed control programs recommended earlier in the season delivered the performance growers expected.
Unfortunately, weed escapes may have been common in many fields this season. Tall, green waterhemp and Palmer amaranth are especially unwelcome and easy to spot in golden corn and soybean fields.
Seeing those weed escapes is frustrating, but they also can offer valuable information. Retailers can use field observations to identify opportunities to strengthen recommendations for the following season, including adding new products into the mix that address specific challenges.
Start by identifying what broke through and why.
First, identify the weed species, note where escapes occurred in the field and estimate when they emerged by asking some key questions:
- Are escapes concentrated in areas with a history of heavy weed pressure?
- Are they primarily grasses or broadleaves?
- Are they occurring in patches, across entire fields, or in areas with specific soil or cropping characteristics?
- Most importantly, did the weeds survive a herbicide application, or did they emerge after the program’s residual activity diminished?
Those observations can help determine whether the issue involves application timing, product selection, residual performance, environmental conditions, weed density or herbicide resistance.
Assess the program approach – not just individual products.
Evaluate a weed control program as a system — not simply based on whether a particular herbicide worked or failed.
Pre-harvest scouting can be an opportunity to revisit how products were layered, whether multiple effective sites of action were incorporated and whether residual control suited the field’s weed spectrum and expected emergence patterns.
That assessment can also reveal opportunities to introduce new chemistry at different timings to boost residual, reduce weed escapes and fight resistance.
One prevalent issue causing escapes in many corn fields is expanding atrazine and HPPD resistance – which is robbing growers across the Corn Belt of productivity and yield potential.
If signs point to resistance, consider adding a product like Intrava® DX herbicide to your pre-emergence program. It has demonstrated strong residual efficacy on the toughest atrazine and HPPD-resistant weeds — weeds such as waterhemp and Palmer amaranth as well as other key broadleaf weed species. A strong, pre-emergence residual is key to increasing the effectiveness of your post-emergence pass.
In soybeans, pre-harvest scouting will likely also reveal waterhemp breaks. It’s the dominant species escaping herbicide applications and lingering in fields. This aggressive and highly resistant weed is breaking through even in some of the most tried-and-true weed control programs.
If that reflects what you’re seeing in growers’ fields, consider adding a product combination like Preview® 2.1 SC herbicide and Winger™ SC herbicide as the new foundational option for your pre-emergence program. Preview 2.1 SC herbicide is a novel liquid formulation of metribuzin and sulfentrazone that combines exceptionally well with Winger SC herbicide, which is a differentiated solo pyroxasulfone product. Together, they control the most resistant early season weeds, including flushes of waterhemp, with a long residual that controls later germinating weeds as well.
Turn observations into productive conversations about next season.
Every weed escape can be a data point. Use those observations to refine planning recommendations from “What went wrong?” to “What can we do differently next year?”
That kind of field-level learning can make weed control recommendations more precise - and help growers enter the next season with a program designed around what their fields actually demonstrated.
For more information about incorporating Intrava DX, Preview 2.1 SC or Winger SC herbicides into your weed control program recommendations, talk to your local UPL representative or visit uplcorp.com/us.
Always read and follow label directions. UPL, the UPL logo, Intrava, Preview and Winger are trademarks of a UPL Corporation Limited Group Company. Intrava DX herbicide and Winger SC herbicide may not be registered in all states, please check with your local retailer or UPL representative for details. ©2026 UPL Corporation Limited Group Company. UPL NA Inc. is the US affiliate of UPL Corporation Ltd. (UPL Corp) 26-UPL-2319 10/26
