Be sure the spray window is still open when applying Galera

The welcome warm weather has stimulated oilseed rape crops to start growing rapidly and growers and advisors will need to time their Galera applications carefully under this years challenging conditions.

"Damaging weeds such as thistles, cleavers and mayweeds are controlled well by Galera and this herbicide been shown to be very safe on all conventional and hybrid varieties when applied at the recommended dose and timing. For consistent and reliable performance it should be applied at 0.35 l/ha and when the soil temperature is 6oC and rising. Crops reach the cut-off date for applications when flower buds are visible above the crop canopy. This year however the spray window is expected to be quite narrow," says Rene Pollak of Dow AgroSciences.

Mr. Pollak explains that timing is further complicated by the more extreme damage sustained by some overwintered crops. "Grazed and battered leaves have, in some situations, left flower heads more exposed than normal. In crops that have lost much leaf over the winter, assessing the growth stage cut-off for Galera will present more of a challenge. The latest application timing for Galera in winter oilseed rape, which is flower buds visible above the crop canopy, is linked to the physiological development stage of the crop and is not associated with the number of leaves present around the flower buds. This growth stage timing is not dependent upon leaves protecting the developing flower buds. There is at this timing no requirement for a physical barrier to protect the buds from Galera."

"Many of these battered crops will still benefit from treatment with Galera, but particular care should be taken when assessing crop growth stage and making recommendations. Farmers and agronomists should be particularly sensitive to signs of stem extension."

With regard to weed size, Galera will control mayweeds and cleavers up to 150 mm in size, sow-thistles and creeping thistles up to 4 leaves or 50 mm in size and groundsel up to 6 leaves.

For further information, please contact the Dow Technical Hotline on 0800 689 8899.

Galera (267 g/L of clopyralid and 67 g/L of picloram formulated as a suspension concentrate) is recommended post-emergence in all varieties of winter oilseed rape for the control of broad-leaved weeds including cleavers, mayweed, sow-thistles and thistles. It can be applied from the 4 leaf stage of the crop up until before flower buds are visible above the crop canopy. It is recommended at a dose rate of 0.35 l/ha and is compatible with a wide range of graminicides, insecticides and fungicides. It is packed in a 1 litre container.