We are about 80% planted in North Carolina and are approaching the end of the planting window (June 10.) Fields can get weedy after primary tillage and before bedding and planting. The images below demonstrate this. Peanuts, unlike cotton, corn, and soybean, have limited postemergence options, especially for large broadleaf weeds. Gramoxone becomes a selective herbicide once peanuts are up because the rate cannot exceed 8 or 11 oz/acre depending on formulation. These rates can only kill small weeds. Not the ones that survive land preparation prior to planting. Many pigweeds (Palmer amaranth) are resistant to Cadre, and PPO inhibitors (Ultra Blazer, Cobra, and especially Storm) kill relatively small weeds (larger than paraquat but not when 4 or more inches tall, unless you get excellent coverage and environmental conditions are perfect.) Also, we need to avoid PPO inhibitors, and to a lesser degree Cadre/Impose, when peanuts are small. We also have populations of Palmer amaranth and common ragweed resistant to PPO inhibitors.

In my experience, disking and field cultivating a moist field that has relatively large weeds will not kill and bury all of these weeds. Depending on how many weeds are up and their size, you could have a disaster.

If you find yourself in this situation, apply paraquat, glyphosate, or glufosinate before you start tilling again. Try to do this a few days before you till. Paraquat at 32 oz/acre is a good option. While glufosinate is okay, I think paraquat is better in general. We could have Palmer amaranth resistant to glufosinate in some fields as well. Glyphosate is very effective on many weeds as a burndown, but it will miss Palmer amaranth, horseweed (marestail) and in many cases common ragweed. All of this, to me, points to paraquat.