Control the exceptionally high autumn cleavers population in cereals or suffer poor growth next spring, warns Dow AgroSciences.
A warm, wet autumn has encouraged early weed growth and suppressed dormancy in cleavers - the most competitive weed that threatens cereal growers. Removing the weed with an autumn application of Boxer (florasulam) at 50-75 ml/ha, reduces early spring competition and is one less problem in the busy spring period.
Boxer can be tank-mixed with post-emergence blackgrass herbicides such as Atlantis. In addition to cleavers, it also controls chickweed, mayweed, and volunteer oilseed rape.
According to Dow's technical services leader David Roberts, even cooler weather is no cause for great concern. "Florasulam, the active ingredient in Boxer, is effective at temperatures as low as 2 ºC, particularly when cleavers growth is slow."
