Dry Beans
Preplant Weed
Survey
Start surveying your fields for weeds before harvesting the preceding crop. Determine the dominant weed species present and maintain records, noting the severity of their infestations. Also, check weed infestations in adjacent fields.
Depending on when you monitor, you may see winter annual seedlings, summer annual seedlings, or perennial weeds. Identifying what weeds are in your field will give you the information you need to select herbicides, rotational crops, and cultural practices.
How to survey your field
- Walk through each field in a random pattern.
- Rate the degree of infestation for each weed species on your weed survey form. Use either a numeric scale from 1 to 5 (1 being the lightest, 5 being the heaviest), or rate as "light," "medium," or "heavy."
- Check fencerows, ditch banks, field edges, and wet spots as these may be problem areas for weed growth and potential sources for wind disseminated seed. Note the dominant species on the monitoring form.
- Pay particular attention to perennial weeds.
- Sketch a map of the field and mark areas with major weed infestations for follow-up control action, noting carefully the location of weeds producing seed. GPS records are useful at this stage to identify areas of weed growth.
- Indicate the growth stage of the weed (seedling or mature).
- Record results on a weed survey form (.
Important links
- Photos of summer annual weed seedlings
- Photos of winter annual weed seedlings
- Photos of perennial weeds
- Example weed survey form
- Integrated weed management
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