Growers wishing to target meadow-grass, other grasses and broad-leaved weeds in oilseed rape are being advised to get on with the job as soon as they can and apply Kerb Flo now.
’Many growers use winter oilseed rape as an important break crop, particularly for black-grass management, but oilseed rape also offers the opportunity to clean up grass-weeds such as annual meadow-grass. Kerb Flo has always been regarded as a highly active black-grass herbicide, but it is also shows excellent efficacy on annual meadow-grass. Trials show that, when applied in December, Kerb Flo gave 99% control of meadow-grass. Kerb will control meadow-grass up to the early tillering stage, so you have more flexibility in when you apply it. It will also control barren brome and wild-oats and has shown excellent activity of other grasses such as fescue in the field,’ says Andy Bailey of Dow AgroSciences.
Agronomist Charlie Oakes of The Agronomy Partnership has seen for himself the excellent activity Kerb Flo has on grass-weeds and last year it was the ability to recommend Kerb in the rotation that lead one of his clients to grow winter rape.
’In a block of land on a farm that I look after, we had an unusual weed problem on some lighter gravelly land ’" meadow-grass, rye-grass, wild-oats and fescue but no black-grass. I don’t normally associate fescue as being an arable weed but it posed a real problem on this farm. The weed control programme started pre-emergence with a metazachlor + quinmerac combination as there was a crane’s-bill problem and this was followed up in November, when conditions were appropriate, with Kerb Flo post-emergence. At this time the grass-weeds were still small, soil temperatures were declining rapidly and moisture levels were getting there. The Kerb did a fantastic job on all the grass-weeds and the rape crop went on to yield well.’
Charlie Oakes reminds growers of the importance of supporting the Stewardship campaign for propyzamide this autumn/winter. ’It is important that we all get the message about effective Stewardship and farmers should proactively take measures to avoid it contaminating water. Without propyzamide growing oilseed rape would be a real challenge.’
Andy Bailey points out this year some growers have had to hold off applying their pre-emergence herbicide in oilseed rape, because of the dry early autumn, and some had difficulty in getting hold of their usual pre-em products. ’All the more reason why a timely application of propyzamide is needed now.’
He points out that in addition to a range of grass-weeds, Kerb Flo also provides control of a number of common broad-leaved weeds. ’There are a range of broad leaf weeds that are susceptible to Kerb Flo such as chickweed, black bindweed, black nightshade, fat-hen, knotgrass, redshank, small nettle and speedwells. However the sensitivity of these weeds declines as they get bigger, so applications should be made as soon as possible to get the best results.’
Andy explains that Kerb Flo is taken up by the roots of its target weeds and so works best when soils are moist and soil temperatures cool. ’These conditions apply to meadow-grass, rye-grass or even fescue control as they do to black-grass. But meadow-grass and these other grass-weeds are considered to be easier weeds to control with Kerb Flo and, even at lower dose rates, very good results will be delivered,’ he reports.
He is confident that in non-black-grass situations the conditions of application for Kerb Flo have been met and that growers should get on and apply their herbicide before the winter closes in.
Kerb Flo (400g/L propyzamide formulated as a suspension concentrate and packed in a new 10 litre pack) is recommended in winter oilseed rape, winter beans and a wide range of other crops for the control of cereal volunteers, annual meadow-grass, black-grass, brome, wild-oats, chickweed, bindweed, fat hen, redshank, small nettle, speedwells and black nightshade. In oilseed rape Kerb Flo has a wide window of application of four months, from the 1st of October through to the end of January. It is recommended at dose rates of 1.7 l/ha or 2.1 l/ha and is compatible with a range of graminicides, insecticides, and fungicides.
