While there are actually quite a few products that could be used PRE for weed control in wheat, I’ll focus on the main three today.

1. Sharpen 2. Zidua/Anthem Flex 3. Pre-Pare

While most of the focus of weed control programs in wheat is on grasses, and rightly so, you probably have a field or two where broadleaf weeds could ruin your crop. Kochia is often mentioned as the worst weed in wheat, but there are a number of other tough annual broadleaf weeds you must contend with.

Rather than taking just one swing at control with your post-emerge herbicide, I’d suggest using 2 ounces of Sharpen either pre-plant, pre-plant incorporated, or pre-emerge. Sharpen is a PPO herbicide (Group 14) that has burndown and residual control on most broadleaf weeds.

By killing these weeds before they emerge, you get much more flexibility in your post-emerge application timing because there will be fewer weeds and the ones that sneak through will likely come up a little bit later. The weaknesses of Sharpen are that it must be applied before the wheat emerges, and it doesn’t control grass.

Zidua is a Group 15 herbicide that controls many grass species and a number of small-seeded broadleaves. Anthem Flex is a premix of the active ingredient in Zidua plus Aim (a burndown broadleaf specialist with no residual). Zidua has no burndown activity, but it does have strong soil residual weed control. Since it is not a Group 1 or Group 2 herbicide like all the other grass control products for wheat, it provides a different mode of action that is effective on weeds like annual bluegrass, rattail fescue, and Italian ryegrass. Zidua and Anthem Flex also suppress broadleaf weeds like henbit, kochia, lambsquarters, wild mustard, pigweed, and shepherdspurse.

The downside with Zidua and Anthem Flex in wheat is the application timing.

A delayed pre-emerge application is recommended up to spike/early post, which means 80% of the seeds should have a half-inch sprout before application. Also, you should plant your wheat 1 to 1.5 inches deep to ensure maiximum crop safety. Read the product label for complete details. These products are being used widely and very successfully.

Finally, the cheapest option and the one that’s been available the longest – Pre-Pare. It’s an ALS herbicide with grass control, as well as control of several non-ALS resistant weeds. If you are trying to cut costs but still want to use a pre herbicide, this is your best bet. It’s only going to cost $3 to $5 depending on the rate you use. In higher pH soils, farmers are often running with just 0.2 ounces per acre. In lower pH soils, you’ll need 0.3 ounces per acre. The other reason farmers like Pre-Pare is it does give some suppression on brome species like cheatgrass.