The potato industry will have a new herbicide to use after Bayer received full approval for its new aclonifen-containing product Emerger.

It joins a range of options that together should allow growers to construct robust pre-emergence programmes that cover all important weed species in potatoes.

Bayer’s Edward Hagues says it provides good control of nettles, polygonum weeds such as red shank, brassica weeds and chenapodium weeds like fat hen.

See also: Tips for controlling weeds without linuron in potatoes

It also provides a contribution to control of grassweeds such as annual meadow grass, ryegrass and blackgrass.

The product is likely to be used in two- or three-way mixes alongside other products. The label allows one application pre-emergence of the crop and weeds at a maximum dose of 1.75 litres/ha.

There are no soil type or variety restrictions, but it does have a non-reducible 6m aquatic buffer zone.

Mr Hagues says Emerger will be priced competitively against other pre-emergence options and supplies should be available from distributors by early May.