High-yield crop production throughout Canada depends on effective management of weeds.
Early spring brings important difficulties to herbicide application, which become especially intense when using SC (suspension concentrate) formulations.
Paying attention to water quality and mixing techniques alongside proper timing and product selection is essential to boost herbicide performance under cold soil temperatures and variable weather conditions with early weed emergence.
Understanding the Challenges of Cool Spring Conditions
During the initial spring period, low temperatures limit weed emergence while slowing plant metabolism, which together hinder herbicide absorption and movement within the plant. Herbicide selection and mixing require careful attention under these conditions. To maintain their broad-spectrum activity and residual performance, SC herbicides need careful handling to prevent decreased effectiveness and physical incompatibility in mixing tanks.
Herbicides that are applied when conditions are cold and damp will increase crop sensitivity. Seedlings under stress show greater susceptibility to phytotoxic effects, while slow-growing weeds demonstrate unexpected recovery when herbicides fail to absorb properly or move through their systems.
The Role of Water in Herbicide Mixing
The effectiveness of herbicide application using SC formulations depends heavily on the quality of the water used. These products that include finely ground active ingredients suspended in liquid demonstrate high sensitivity to physical incompatibilities, particularly during cold spring conditions.
1. Water Temperature
SC products face reduced solubility and dispersion when mixed with the cold water that prevails in early spring. The water temperature should exceed 10°C (50°F) when mixing SC formulations. If the water temperature is too low:
- SC products fail to disperse uniformly in cold water, which creates a higher chance of filter or nozzle blockages.
- The active ingredient can settle at the tank’s bottom, which results in inconsistent application in the field.
Best practice: Preserve water in holding tanks that permit slight warming before mixing. Sensitive tank mixes require water that should not be drawn from icy sources.
2. Water Hardness
The presence of calcium, magnesium, and other cations in hard water causes these minerals to bind with herbicide molecules like glyphosate and decrease their effectiveness. SC products demonstrate greater chemical stability in hard water compared to soluble liquids, but their inclusion in tank mixes with glyphosate or other hard water-sensitive chemicals remains viable.
Best practice:
- Test your water before spraying. Water with a hardness level exceeding 400 ppm requires special consideration because it might present problems.
- Before adding glyphosate or SC products to the spray tank, apply ammonium sulfate (AMS) or other approved water conditioners. The process will attach cations and maintain herbicide effectiveness.
3. Water pH
Chemical stability is impacted by the pH level of spray water. Herbicides exhibit optimal performance when the pH level of their environment ranges from 5 to 7. Alkaline water conditions with a pH above 7 lead to enhanced degradation of several herbicide groups, specifically Group 1 and Group 4 herbicides as well as those formulated with esters.
Best practice: Monitor and modify spray water pH with acidifiers when needed, particularly when combining burndown herbicides such as BlackHawk®, which includes pH-sensitive fast-acting constituents.
Best Practices for Mixing SC Products
The formulation of suspension concentrates requires careful handling to avoid layering and foaming while ensuring compatibility, especially during combination with other modes of herbicidal action.
Follow the Proper Mixing Order (W-A-L-E-S-S)
The subsequent sequence is essential for avoiding compatibility issues when creating your tank mix.
- W – Wettable powders
- A – Agitate
- L – Liquid flowables and SC formulations
- E – Emulsifiable concentrates (ECs)
- S – Surfactants
- S – Soluble herbicides (like glyphosate)
Introduce SC products following water conditioners but before glyphosate or EC formulations. Ensure complete dispersion of each product before introducing the next one into the mixture.
Maintain Agitation
Continuous agitation becomes necessary once SC products enter the mix. Failure to mix properly may cause uneven distribution patterns and lead to crop damage and nozzle blockages. The agitation process must remain active throughout mixing and continue until the spraying is complete.
Combining glyphosate with burndown herbicides such as BlackHawk® through tank-mixing offers enhanced control during spring burn-downs but requires careful compatibility management.
The combination of SC chemistries and systemic products such as glyphosate or contact herbicides like BlackHawk® creates improved control options for spring burn-downs while increasing the importance of compatibility testing.
Tips for Successful Mixing:
- Add AMS first to the conditioned water.
- Add SC herbicide slowly, with agitation running.
- The final addition of glyphosate or BlackHawk® to the mix helps reduce antagonistic reactions.
- Mixing very cold water into the solution leads to reduced glyphosate absorption and potential crystallization of SC products.
- Introduce a defoamer to eliminate foam during mixing before adding surfactants or oils.
The BlackHawk® herbicide features both Group 14 and 6 active ingredients, which perform quickly, although their effectiveness is influenced by pH levels and temperature conditions. Incorporating oils or surfactants before the appropriate time can result in ‘hot mixes’, which heighten the risk of crop damage, especially to seedling-stage plants.
Timing and Application for Early Weed Control
Canada uses pre-emergent herbicides during early spring to prevent weed emergence. Growers trust a pre-emergent herbicide, combined with a robust tank mix, to effectively lower in-season weed competition.
Administer pre-emergent herbicides when soil temperatures approach 5–10°C and before weeds begin to appear. Farmers can manage different weed stages by tank-mixing glyphosate with contact products, which allows control of both visible small weeds and those that have not yet emerged.
The ideal application period for post-emergent herbicides occurs during active weed growth phases that happen when daytime temperatures stay above 10°C. SC herbicides show improved performance under these specific conditions while simultaneously lowering the probability of crop damage.
Farmers should include SC Tank Mixes as part of their overall weed management programs.
Tank-mixing requires integration into a comprehensive weed management system for optimal results. The practice of rotating crops, along with scouting techniques and selecting appropriate herbicides, diminishes resistance problems while supporting sustainable farming over extended periods. SC products deliver exceptional value and dependable performance when they are managed correctly and incorporated thoughtfully into cropping systems.
Consider pairing SC mixes with:
- Using crop protection products such as fungicides or foliar nutrients requires compatibility testing.
- Cultural control methods (e.g., cover crops)
- Mechanical controls, if needed, pre-seeding
By diversifying weed management approaches, farmers can limit dependence on one action mode, which helps protect valuable Canadian herbicides.
Effective early-season weed control in Canadian spring conditions requires more than product choice and necessitates comprehensive knowledge of water chemistry and SC handling alongside compatibility techniques. Growers who focus on best practices for mixing with attention to water temperature, hardness, and pH can enhance tank mix performance while minimizing crop injury and ensuring robust crop establishment.
Growers who use their trusted pre-emergent herbicide in Canada or apply burn-down products such as BlackHawk® will achieve optimum agronomic and economic results this spring through disciplined SC mixing.
