How to Spray Conventional Soybeans

Spray herbicides when there is no wind, in the morning after the dew has dried and when no rain is expected until the chemical has dried. Over-the-top sprays must be applied before the soybeans have emerged. After emergence, apply by spot method.

Use a backpack sprayer for spot control. A commercial grower wouldn't have this luxury, but it provides an excellent method of application for the home soybean producer. Turn the nozzle on the end of the sprayer to a fine stream rather than a broad spray for spot application.

Mix the required amount of herbicide in the backpack sprayer. Use a postemergent herbicide that will be most effective against the predominant type of weeds --- for instance, broadleaf or grassy weeds.

Fill the sprayer with water in the amount called for on the product label. The exact amounts of water and chemical will differ from product to product, and also depending on the area you will be treating.

Spray the soybean bed broadly if the beans have not yet sprouted. Use a fine stream if they have already sprouted, and work your way around the bed individually, dripping some of the herbicide on each weed.

Hoe the bed in a week to remove any weeds that you were unable to spray or that were unaffected by the chemical you used. Not every chemical can kill every type of weed.