Desiccation alternative for seed
Desiccation alternative for seed
SEED potato producers are to get another desiccation alternative to sulphuric acid with a new approval for flailing followed by Harvest (glufosinate-ammonium) for the coming season.
Two years of trials under a range of conditions have shown full rate Harvest the day after flailing can match sulphuric acid for tuber quality and delivers faster haulm desiccation, said Ruairidh Bain from the SAC.
Earlier concerns about seed tuber effects proved unfounded, with no difference in shoot number or viability in a range of varieties.
However, Les Sykes of acid contractor Sands noted that flailing is slow, so while plot growth can be stopped on time, larger blocks of crop may not be so easy to stop on schedule. *