26 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2018 All rights reserved. © 2018 A.T. Ferrell Company Inc. We didn’t set out to be a pioneer in agriculture and food technology. It just happens when you develop innovative products that revolutionize the industry. We built the first Clipper seed and grain cleaners in 1869. Our Ferrell-Ross division has specialized in manufacturing equipment for particle size reduction and flaking processes since 1939, while our Mix- Mill product line started in 1954. Today we continue our success the only way we know how: Constant innovation at our factory right here in the American heartland, delivered to customers around the world. By combining our documented history of innovation with our commitment to customer service, we can look forward to the next 150 years of products that are “Engineered Without Compromise.” atferrell.com When We Started, This Was The Future Edison Light Bulb – 1882 Client: AT Ferrell Publication: Seed World Agency: ON Communication Inc 7025 - 150th Ann Ad-FINAL-SW.indd 1 2018-10-26 2:30 PM If weeds aren’t controlled during the first two or three weeks of a crop’s life when the crop needs to be weed free, there’s a chance of losing more than 5 percent of the final yield, Dille explains. During this time, growers determine whether or not there are enough weeds present to manage. The second piece was determining which species would appear. Dille worked with Wes Everman, a North Carolina State University associate professor in small grain and soybean weed science, to plant sorghum varieties that were resistant to ALS herbicides alongside six different grass weed species in their respective states. Large crabgrass, barnyard-grass, foxtail spe- cies and shattercane were some of the species planted at a rate of 100 plants per square meter. The grass weeds had various emergence patterns, with some emerging first and others later. “These little pieces can be put together to design better management systems. We can take what they found and put it into a bigger package of integrated management.” —Anita Dille “You don’t have all six of the grass species in a field at one time,” Dille says. “Usually, the field has developed their own weed community — all crabgrass, all foxtail. It’s interesting to see the different grasses that show up.” Designed as an 18-month research project spanning two crop years gave researchers the chance to see diversity in the field. Analysis has since concluded, and the researchers are pulling together the final pieces to disseminate their findings. The information discovered in this study will help sorghum producers know when to scout and which weeds to target. Dille adds that there has been an increased interest in sor- ghum management due to new genetics that could give growers more opportunities to manage weeds, climate cycles, less water availability, and the desire to match the crop to the environment. She says this research project could help producers look at the whole agronomic system, such as creating competition with weeds through crop production practices, all while still being economical. “These little pieces can be put together to design better man- agement systems,” Dille says. “We can take what they found and put it into a bigger package of integrated management.” Moving forward, Dille says future research needs to analyze the weed threshold and how many individual grass plants cause what level of yield loss. Another piece to examine, she says, is the impact of other cultural practices, such as row spacing and seed- ing rates, on grass weeds. Partners in this project included Pioneer and Advanta, North Carolina State University Research and K-State Research and Extension. SW