With pre-emergence herbicide use in both cereals and oilseed rape being an essential part of any weed control programme this autumn, there is a corresponding need for the soil adjuvant BackRow to enhance their performance and minimise drift, says Interagro UK Ltd.
"High levels of weed control in cereals and oilseed rape are essential in order to reduce weed competition and to grow profitable crops. This is particularly so in black-grass areas. Black-grass control is still a numbers game, with growers looking at ways and means of reducing weed populations at each and every stage in the programme. Just a few percentage points of weed control means that the next treatment has a better chance of success and the overall level of control is improved. This is why using a soil adjuvant such as BackRow with pre-emergence herbicides in both wheat and oilseed rape is important and is becoming a much more popular practise," explains Alan East, Technical Manager for Interagro UK Ltd.
BackRow can be used pre-emergence in cereals with autumn residual herbicides such as flufenacet and pendimethalin, flufenacet and diflufenican, trifluralin, pendimethalin and prosulfocarb, and in winter oilseed rape with herbicides such as metazachlor, metazachlor and quinmerac and trifluralin. "In trials the addition of BackRow to Liberator applied at 0.6 l/ha lifted black-grass control from 86% to 89% - well worth having. For Crystal at 4 l/ha the benefit was also a few percent from 91% to 94%, but in the numbers game a few percent points make a lot of difference to the overall end result," reports Alan.
"BackRow has an enhancing effect on the control of black-grass and all target weeds by the way its works. Based on a unique complex blend of non-ionic surfactants, emulsifiers and specialist oils, it has been designed optimise coverage and deposition onto the soil surface. Its use ensures that its partner residual herbicide is uniformly distributed over the soil surface and also is kept within the upper soil profile where the weeds are most active. It binds the herbicide firmly onto soil particles, reducing the risk of leaching and increasing herbicide persistency," explains Alan.
"The product also reduces the number of fine spray droplets below 100 microns, and so minimises drift and ensures an improved spray pattern. In essence BackRow keeps the herbicide where it is meant to be, improves its targeting and enhances its overall performance."
"BackRow works best with partner herbicides that act through shoots and roots and also when weeds have not yet emerged. It should be used pre-emergence only. It is not recommended with flumioxazin, any contact herbicides or on very light soils, however," says Alan.
Alan East explains that growers have had to adopt complex weed control programmes in order to control weeds as well as they can, starting with a pre-emergence herbicide and following up with either a further residual or contact-acting product. "This approach will be even more necessary this season as both black-grass and rye-grass germination is said to be more protracted and so will require longer residual herbicide persistence. Any farm with a grass-weed problem will have to adopt a comprehensive and effective weed control strategy right from the word go," he says.
BackRow is recommended at a rate of 200 ml/ha in the autumn and 400 ml/ha in the spring, irrespective of water volume. It is approved for use in cereals, oilseed rape, potatoes, maize, peas, beans and sugar beet.
When mixing, the spray tank should be half-filled with clean water and agitation started. The recommended quantity of BackRow is then added. The recommended quantity of the partner crop protection chemical and the remaining balance of water are then added, whilst agitation is maintained throughout. BackRow is particularly effective at low water volumes.
For further details please contact Alan East, Technical Manager, Interagro on 01376 552703 or 07775 696268 (mobile).
