Don't Skip A Pass in 2026

With the end of the year rapidly approaching and many prepay windows coming due, farmers are looking for ways to manage input costs for the 2026 growing season. One of the most common questions I hear is: Do I really need to spend the money on a pre-emerge herbicide, or can I just add a residual to my post application?

The honest answer is yes, both are needed.

Across much of our trade territory, weed populations have developed tolerance or outright resistance to many post-emerge chemistries. In some cases—waterhemp being a prime example—there may be only one effective post-emerge option left, and that option varies by geography. While tillage can control emerged weeds prior to planting, no-till systems dominate many acres today, leaving us heavily dependent on chemistry for weed control.

With no new herbicide modes of action coming to market anytime soon, it’s more important than ever to use as many effective modes of action as practical. Many of today’s top-performing pre-emerge products offer multiple modes of action and provide a strong foundation. Following them with one or two post-emerge applications—along with an added residual—helps control escapes and extends season-long weed suppression.

Adding a residual to the post pass creates a layered program that delivers multiple effective modes of action against resistant and tolerant weed populations. While it may be possible to “get by” with a one-pass program for a year or two, experience shows that this approach eventually catches up. Nearly every weed control trainwreck can be traced back to a limited number of effective modes of action—most often the result of a failed one-pass system.

Continuing down that path only increases resistant weed populations and makes future control more difficult and expensive.

Work with your local SFG agronomist to build a solid two-pass herbicide program that protects yield potential and adds real returns to your bottom line in 2026.