Weed control decisions today don’t just impact this year’s crop — they can affect your fields for the next decade. In this What’s Working in Ag segment, Corteva’s Jeff Moon shares practical weed control strategies farmers should be discussing at the coffee shop.
In agriculture, sometimes the best advice comes from the conversations farmers have at the coffee shop.
That’s exactly the spirit behind the What’s Working in Ag segment — learning what is actually working in the field right now.
In this episode, David Whitaker sits down with Jeff Moon of Corteva Agriscience, a Minnesota Market Development Specialist who has spent his entire career in agriculture.
Together they break down one of the biggest challenges growers face every season: weed pressure and how to stay ahead of it.
Jeff explains why weed management decisions today impact much more than the current crop. A single waterhemp plant can produce up to 500,000 seeds, and those seeds can remain viable in the soil for years — creating long-term weed pressure if problems aren’t addressed early.
The conversation covers several practical insights farmers should consider when building their weed control programs:
• Why weeds reduce yield by competing for sunlight, moisture, and nutrients
• How insect pressure can increase when weed patches are ignored
• The importance of using multiple modes of action to prevent resistance
• Why relying on the same chemistry year after year can create bigger problems
• The value of scouting fields instead of only checking the field entrance
• Why spraying weeds when they’re 2–4 inches tall dramatically improves success
Jeff also discusses how modern herbicide programs often combine multiple tools — including residual control and post-emerge options — to deliver more consistent results across different farming systems.
Because every farm operates differently, the best weed control strategy depends on factors like tillage practices, cropping systems, and environmental conditions.
The key takeaway: weed management is not a one-pass decision — it’s a season-long strategy.