Bayer CropScience is to test-market a new post-emergence herbicide

Bayer CropScience is to test-market a new post-emergence herbicide. This will provide a valuable alternative to IPU for control of annual meadow-grass and a wide range of broad-leaved weeds in winter wheat.

Othello®'s unique combination of iodosulfuron, mesosulfuron and diflufenican, gives better control of annual and rough-stalked meadow-grasses, plus a range of broad-leaved weeds including cleavers.

"It replaces, and improves on, the standard IPU/diflufenican mix," says product manager Tim Holt. "Othello is the first ODesi® (oil dispersion) herbicide to be launched by Bayer in the UK. The unique, patented formulation improves the retention, spreading and uptake of the herbicide on the weed leaf."

Applied at 1L/ha, with biopower®, the herbicide provides both contact and residual activity, with a flexible application timing extending up to before GS 32, the second node detectable stage.

"However, the optimum timing for application is in autumn at the 2-3 leaf stage of annual and rough stalked meadow-grass, when the majority of weeds have emerged," Mr Holt advises.

"Bayer is supplying a limited quantity this autumn so that growers and their agronomists can try Othello and review its performance before the withdrawal of IPU," he says. "The official launch is planned for Cereals 2008."

Mr Holt explains that Othello is most effective when there is active weed growth, adequate soil moisture and weeds are not under any form of stress. "It will work best going into a cold spell rather than following very cold conditions," he emphasises, "and Othello must not be used in sequence with any other grass weed ALS herbicide."