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Crystal clear choice for blackgrass

- 25 July 2001
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25 July 2001



Crystal clear choice for blackgrass

By Gilly Johnson

AN alternative to pre-em Avadex (tri-allate) in the battle against blackgrass was launched on Wednesday (25 July).

New pre- or early post-em herbicide Crystal from BASF is a liquid pendimethalin mix containing flufenacet, which can be applied through the farm sprayer.

This is fresh herbicide chemistry, which will knock out susceptible and target site resistant blackgrass in winter wheat or barley, says BASF.

It also sensitises weeds so that they are more vulnerable to later sprays, but activity against enhanced metabolism resistant blackgrass is limited.

Company trials give Crystal a massive 40% lead on blackgrass control overall compared with Avadex either in a sequence or on its own.

Crystals spectrum of weed control includes ryegrasses, meadow grasses and loose silky bent.

Theres some useful suppression of sterile brome (not meadow brome), wild oats and some activity against awned canary grass and onion couch.

The pendimethalin in the mix boosts grass weed activity and adds broad weed leaved control.

Crystal acts mainly through root uptake, so works best when soil is moist and the weed roots are young and nearest the surface.

The downside is that prolonged waterlogged soil after pre-em application has implications for crop safety; the crop needs to be drilled at the right depth.

Crystal is rated LERAP B. It will be widely available this autumn through most distributors, in a 10-litre pack.

Recommended rate is either 3 litres/ha or, for better blackgrass control 4 litres/ha. Last use date on the label is either GS23 or 21 Dec, which ever is the first.

Price is to be announced but “will be comparable with Avadex, taking into account the added convenience and extra benefits”. This would suggest a baseline of perhaps 28/ha.

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