Medium Can improve yields Reduces pests and risk of weed resistance to atrazine Additional crop practices required Split Application Less available for early season runoff. May reduce amount applied. Best Management Practices Soil Incorporation Soil incorporation by tilling the atrazine into the top 2-3 inches of soil puts the chemical below the soil surface where it has maximum effectiveness for weed control and less potential for surface runoff. Mulching cultivators may be used for incorporation when residue cover is needed for soil erosion protection. Band Application Band application places atrazine in a narrow band over the crop row, leaving interrow areas unsprayed.
Timely cultivation is necessary for weed control between rows.
Herbicide Combinations Combination products can be used with all tillage systems. Atrazine in combination products is usually applied at a lower rate than atrazine applied alone. Preemergence mixes often contain atrazine plus a herbicide for grasses and small-seed broadleaves. Postemergence applications usually include atrazine plus another broadleaf herbicide. Both herbicide rotation and crop rotation allow the use of non-atrazine herbicides in some years.