TIME IS running out for controlling brome and wild oat infestations this season, cereal growers have been warned.

Where growers are experiencing problems with both weeds, they should aim to tackle them separately, advised Barrie Hunt from Bayer CropScience.

“Antagonism is a real problem with brome and wild oat control products,” he said.

But growers with early drilled crops, who have achieved good early brome control should have little to worry about, said Hutchinson’s James Cheeseman.

“It’s the late-drilled fields – where IPU (isoproturon) mixes were the primary control – which should be inspected as soon as possible,” he noted.

He suggests using Attribut (propoxycarbazone-sodium), which has a cut-off of growth stage 33. “Many crops will be nearing that stage within 10 days, so it’s crucial to act as soon as you can.”

April to mid-May is also the key time for controlling spring germinating wild oats, added Bayer’s Neil Waddingham.

“The cold snap of early March will have broken the dormancy of wild oat seeds, causing a flush which should now be apparent.”

Growers should choose a control product with flexible rates and timing, that is compatible with sulfonylurea herbicides, so broad-leaved weeds can be tackled at the same time, he advised.