Dual dose of DFF and IPU tackles cleavers
Dual dose of DFF and IPU tackles cleavers
TREAT cleavers-infested winter wheat to a taste of diflufenican (DFF) plus isoproturon (IPU) herbicide before Christmas and it should be less hungry for a tidy up with two of the newer broad-leaf weed-killers in the spring.
That is the message from recent experiments at Morley Research Centre which echo early 1990s HGCA-funded trials by ADAS, SAC & DANI. These showed that DFF + IPU, applied as Panther in the autumn, allowed the Starane (fluroxypyr) dose to be reduced with only marginally lower weed control.
The latest trial in wheat highlights a similar knock-on effect on the activity of Eagle (amidosulfuron) and Platform S (carfentrazone-ethyl + mecoprop-P), according to Morleys Libby Powell.
"Growers dont always realise the true benefits of this sensitising effect on late germinating weeds."
Without the pre-sensitising herbicide mix even the full doses of Eagle and Platform S managed only 80 and 90% cleavers control respectively, with the reduced doses leaving 25% and 65% uncontrolled.
But with the backing of DFF/IPU, control from both products was lifted at least into the high 90%s. Indeed the more robust 1000/75g mix helped the three-quarter dose Eagle achieve 100%. *
CLEAVERSDUALHIT
• Sensitising autumn DFF/IPU.
• Less Eagle and Platform needed.
• Extra DFF reflected in spring.
• Echoes HGCA work with Starane.