OILSEED RAPE growers with forward crops should not rush weed control this autumn, Dow AgroSciences has advised.

“There is plenty of time yet…it is far better to wait for a few leaves to be lost to pigeon attack or frost before spraying,” said the firm’s Rene Pollak.

As well as thick crops preventing even spray distribution, many soils are also warmer than normal, which means some grassweed herbicides will break down more rapidly than usual, he said.

Blackgrass control with products such as Kerb Flo (propyzamide) can be achieved with treatments up to the end of January, Dow said.

Agrovista’s agronomist Mark Hemmant agreed that grassweed control in oilseed rape may need to be delayed.

“Soil temperatures are still too warm to get the best out of propyzamide or carbetamide and in many cases we need some cold weather to open up the canopies to allow sprays to hit their target.”

Some crops now have more than nine leaves, which is the cut-off for Aramo (tepraloxydim), he reminded growers.