Control boost for AMG and autumn cleavers
Control boost for AMG and autumn cleavers
BETTER autumn control of cleavers, annual meadow grass and a range of other broad-leaved weeds is offered by new herbicide PicoPro.
"It offers consistent and long-lasting annual meadow grass control, improved reliability on cleavers, and an alternative control for field pansy," says BASFs Rob Gladwin.
Targeted at the ipu/dff sector it combines new active ingredient picolinafens leaf uptake and rapid kill of broad-leaved weeds with pendimethalins tried and tested residual activity and slower action.
Control is typically extended from the two true leaves stage to 4-6 true leaves of broad-leaved weeds.
Synergies between the active ingredients mean control is better than would be expected from combining the activity of the stand-alone ingredients, says BASF. Picolinafen, for example, has no effect on poppies itself. But its addition to pendimethalin substantially increases pendimethalins control.
Picolinafen has a similar effect on other herbicides and 33 two-way mixes and a number of three-way mixes with compounds such as ipu, bromoxynil, MCPA and amidosulfuron have been patented.
BASF recommends two rates of PicoPro. The lower "building block rate" of 2 litres/ha suits general broad-leaved weed control where cleavers are less important and a tank-mix partner will be used.
Adding 1 litre/ha of ipu controls groundsel and mayweed, extends chickweed control beyond the six true-leaf stage and increases timing flexibility on annual meadow grass.
The higher 3 litres/ha rate is recommended where fumitory, cranesbill or cleavers are the main targets. At that rate cleavers control up to the three whorls stage topped 90% in 19 trials.
A LERAP rating of C means no extra restrictions, an advantage over ipu/dff products such as Panther which have a B rating, says herbicide product manager Andrew Jones.
Price will be competitive with ipu/dff tank-mixes containing 40-50g/ha of dff, says Mr Jones.
lProCam Groups David Ellerton sees PicoPro as a bolt-on to the core grassweed tank-mix. "It is a super-Stomp if you like. It is extremely good on cleavers and extremely good on pansies." In many cases it will remove the need for a follow-up spring cleavers applications, he says. *
PICOPRO
• SC formulation of 16g/litre picolinafen + 320g/litre pendimethalin.
• Controls AMG, cleavers, pansies, fumitory, speedwells.
• Misses mayweeds, groundsel.