Fungicide choice and fluctuating temperatures point towards Starane XL

Warm days and cold nights combined with rapid cleavers growth in cereal crops means growers should be careful about product choice for reliable control, says Dow AgroSciences.

"Adverse weather and temperature conditions at this timing can compromise the effect of Starane 2. It's just too cold at night," says cleavers specialist, Stuart Jackson. "With diurnal temperatures still fluctuating widely growers can remove any doubts over efficacy by using Starane XL. The combination of fluroxypyr and florasulam makes it equally effective against slow growing blue cleavers and fast growing plants."

Cleavers should be controlled at or around GS 30-32 to maximise crop profitability. The addition of Starane XL fits in with the growers' spray workload as it can be applied with the T0 or T1 fungicide.

"This season fungicide strategies are being amended to maximise early control of Septoria," says Mr Jackson. "So it is worth remembering that Starane XL is also physically and biologically compatible with approved formulations of epoxiconazole and chlorothalonil. This isn't the case with all mid-season cleavers control products."

Additional sequences and tank-mixes with ALS-inhibitor chemistry have also recently been approved by the Pesticides Safety Directorate. Starane XL now has approval in tank-mix with Ally and Harmony M, for example.

"Starane XL at 1.25 l/ha is at least equivalent to Starane 2 at 1.0 l/ha when treating cleavers from late March to late April. And with low soil temperatures Starane XL is the best choice," advises Mr Jackson.