To win in the show cattle arena and field, Jay Wilder ensures he’s selecting the right genetics and trait system to succeed. Learn why he plants Enlist(R) cotton
To win in the show cattle arena and field, Jay Wilder ensures he’s selecting the right genetics and trait system to succeed. He takes pride in his Limousin cattle and the land his family has been farming since 1912. That’s why Wilder stays involved and committed to these industries.
Wilder works closely with Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to learn about new technology and voices his opinions by participating in various industry organizations.
“I want to help promote agriculture, which is why I’m involved in boards like the Texas Farm Bureau and North American Limousin Foundation,” Wilder says. “I can voice my ideas or concerns to help make a difference and learn what works and doesn’t work from other farmers.”
Although one of the better-known beef cattle breeds is Angus, Wilder only breeds and raises Limousin cattle. He’s worked to improve his herd’s genetics and that’s been proven with cattle show wins. Wilder would never switch breeds.
But when it comes to weed control in his cotton and soybean fields, he heard good things about the Enlist(R) weed control system and was willing to test it out to help control his waterhemp issues.
“Ultimately, the weed control results and the chemistry to help us manage our resistant weeds is why we decided to test out Enlist,” Wilder says. “Then we worked closely with our entomologist and PhytoGen rep to figure out the specific cotton varieties with the Enlist trait that fit our acres best.”
Wilder decided to conduct his own trial of Enlist cotton and Enlist E3(R) soybeans on his fields with tough resistant weed pressure. He farms both dryland and irrigated cotton and plants soybeans as a double crop in wheat stubble. Before planting, Wilder talked with his neighbors to plan exactly where he would plant his Enlist crops.
“I talked with my neighbors, and we tried to coordinate what fields would have Enlist or dicamba systems,” Wilder says. “Since this was my first year applying Enlist herbicides, I wanted to be cautious with it and get experience using the new technology before planting Enlist cotton right next to a non-Enlist cotton field.”
Applications went as planned, staying on target, and there were no issues with his neighbors, says Wilder.
“The Enlist system was a lot simpler to incorporate than I thought it would be,” Wilder says. “If you just follow the label and do a good tank cleanout, there should be no problems.”
The tank-mix flexibility and ease of use of Enlist One(R) herbicide were big benefits for Wilder and factors in switching more acres from the in-crop dicamba system to the Enlist system next year.
“I don’t have to put drift reduction agents or volatility reduction adjuvants in the tank mix with Enlist One herbicide, and there’s less restrictions compared to dicamba, which makes it easier to explain to my sons if they’re helping me with applications,” Wilder said. “We followed the label, and a tank mix of Enlist One herbicide and glyphosate got the job done. I was impressed with the weed control results in my toughest fields, and we’ll add more Enlist cotton and Enlist E3 soybean acres next year.”
Raising quality show cattle is similar to selecting the right weed management tools for Wilder’s farm. With continued research and industry advancements, both his herd genetics and weed control keep improving year after year. Wilder’s waterhemp pressure was taken care of, and he averaged around 1,700 to 1,800 pounds per acre this year. Next up is to win a national title with his Limousin cattle. With the continued innovation in crop varieties and cattle breeding, he’s excited to see how the Wilder farm will keep winning both in the field and show arena years from now.
To learn more and see other stories about switching to the Enlist system, visit ExperiencingEnlist.com.
