DEVELOPMENT OF STALE SEEDBED WEED-CONTROL PROGRAMS FOR SOUTHERN ROW CROPS

Planting row crops into a stale seedbed has gained popularity in recen t years, This concept uses tillage either after harvest in the fail or early in the spring to smooth the seedbed and eliminate ruts and exce ss residue on the soil surface. Tillage is not used immediately before planting, thus conserving moisture, eliminating costly and time-consu ming tillage trips at planting, and allowing more timely planting, Whi le stale seedbed planting minimizes tillage to establish the crop, con servation is not the primary objective of this concept; rather, timely stand establishment following adverse weather conditions has been the driving force behind the popularity of stale seedbed programs, The st ale seedbed approach has been used with success on a variety of soils in the southern U.S., but is best suited on the poorly-drained clay so ils in the Mississippi River Delta, The system has been adapted for us e in soybean, cotton, corn, and rice, A key component of a well-prepar ed stale seedbed is the absence of weeds at planting, Producers must k eep in mind that weeds present and not controlled at planting have the potential to significantly impair stand establishment and crop yields , Although these weeds are often beginning to senesce by the time soyb ean planting occurs, they are still using soil moisture and shading ne wly emerging crop plants early in the season.