2018 - Cost-effective weed control in spring cereals

It is important to plan robust weed control programmes in spring cereals. Crop and weed growth can be quick in moist, warm spring soils, so adequate preparation is required to achieve the best results from herbicides. Consideration should be given to applying the right herbicide, at the appropriate dose, at the correct timing.

Tower, with its combination of chlorotoluron, diflufenican and pendimethalin, is an excellent broad-spectrum herbicide with high levels of activity on annual meadowgrass and a wide range of broadleaved weeds. Importantly, Tower can also offer high levels of control of broadleaved weeds with resistance to ALS-inhibitor herbicides; namely poppy, chickweed and mayweed.

Trials conducted by NIAB TAG in Spring 2017 proved how effective Tower can be on populations of poppy with confirmed resistance to sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides.

Timing A was applied to poppies up to the 2 leaf stage, and Timing B when the poppies had 6-8 leaves.

The trials proved that cutting the application rate of Tower was a false economy, when applied alone, but that rate flexibility was possible when used in tank mix. The tank mix applications of Tower with Cleave(florasulam + fluroxypyr) gave the best results, whether applied at the early or later timing. It was important to use higher rates of herbicide on the larger weeds for reliable results.

Tower

Tower is a cost-effective, broad spectrum herbicide option for spring cereals. It is a unique residual herbicide containing pendimethalin (300g/l), diflufenican (40g/l) and chlorotoluron (250g/l). It provides excellent stand-alone annual meadow-grass control as well as broad-leaved weed activity in winter and spring cereals.