Make the Best of Your Crop Desiccation

Harvest 2020 is right around the corner and the memories of “Hellvest 19” are still a little too raw. While nature’s plans for Harvest 2020 remain to be seen, ensuring an adequate and timely dry down of the crop is crucial for a smooth harvest in any year. Hard water and high pH can reduce the efficacy of the desiccant herbicide, resulting in a slower dry down and delayed harvest. Read more to learn about solutions to make the best of your crop desiccation.

Earlier in the season, we’ve examined the impact of water hardness and pH on burn-off and in-season spraying. But the effects of hard water don’t end with in-season spraying, water hardness and pH level can impact the efficacy of all pesticides and desiccants.

Hard water has high mineral content, especially calcium and magnesium. These positively charged ions can bind to the negatively charged ions in glyphosate and other desiccant herbicides, significantly reducing their effectiveness. High levels of calcium and magnesium also increase water pH and alkalinity, which interfere with the optimum pH range to get the best efficacy from herbicides.

Traditional spray water has a hardness level around 100-800 ppm. pHix lowers water hardness levels to below 50 ppm, creating an ideal environment for maximum herbicide efficacy inside the spray tank. pHix is developed with stabilized sulfur, which improves water quality by causing calcium-containing minerals to precipitate out of the water.

pHix your water before desiccation

When it comes to pH levels, pHix is much more effective at lowering spray tank pH volume compared to Ammonium Sulphate, a commonly used water conditioner. pHix’s acidic nature lowers the pH of the spray solution to 2.5 – 3.5, providing the acidic environment required for many herbicides.

Not only is lowering water’s pH good for herbicide efficacy, it also protects your soil. Continuous spraying of high pH water can cause the pH levels in the soil to rise over time, potentially creating problems for future growing seasons and future harvests.

As we approach the time for crop desiccation, consider how a water conditioner can help you get to harvest faster by softening spray water and lowering its pH levels. Talk to your OMEX representative today to learn more about pHix and how it can improve crop desiccation.