New blackgrass killer for 2002
14 December 2001
New blackgrass killer for 2002
By Gilly Johnson
A NEW tool to control tricky grass weeds in wheat, including resistant blackgrass, ryegrass, wild oats and meadow grass is in the pesticide approval pipeline.
And as a bonus, theres some broad-leaved weed activity too with good mayweed and chickweed control.
The chemistry comes from Aventis CropScience, who said its a synergistic mix of two new very low dose sulfonyl-urea actives.
This is coupled with a safener additive, which makes for complete crop safety, according to the company.
Vital statistics include an impressive 98% control of blackgrass over 51 varied field trials from 1999-2001.
Hawk (clodinafop propargyl + trufluralin) and Lexus (flupyrsulfuron-methyl)/Stomp (pendimethalin) programmes scored 80% and 75% respectively.
Variable control has always been a problem with blackgrass programmes, but this is where the new mix is well ahead, claimed Aventis.
The blackgrass control ranges between 87-100%, which is tiny compared to at least four times the variation experienced with the other programmes.
However, there were some resistant sites within the trials, which would have increased the variable control, said the company.
Although fop and dim, target site resistant blackgrass is currently controlled well, theres still the risk that this could eventually breakdown.
So Aventis has issued a health warning, stating that the product, if approved, should be used as one tool in a sensible resistance management strategy.
The company hopes its herbicide will be approved in time for commercial sales by autumn 2002.
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