WINTER OAT growers looking to control annual meadow grass and other weeds have another pre-emergence herbicide option, according to Bartholomews.

This follows a new Specific Off Label Approval (SOLA) for Uranus (120g/litre linuron + 240g/litre trifluralin).

Approval for use of the soil acting, residual herbicide, will fill a gap in grower’s armoury against annual meadow grass, said the firm’s Laurence Power.

“We used to use terbutryn, and find that Lexus Class [carfentrazone-ethyl + flupyrsulfuron-methyl] is not particularly good on germinating annual meadow grass, so have been looking for a pre-emergence alternative for some time.”

Uranus already holds full approval for use on winter wheat, winter barley and triticale and while the new SOLA will largely be used to target annual meadow grass, it also gives some blackgrass and broadleaved weed control, the firm said.