Longer lasting residual weed control is promised

February 5, 2010

A NEW pre-emergence herbicide – Dual Gold – is being marketed by Syngenta as giving maize growers longer-lasting residual control of key weeds.

Nick Watson, Syngenta maize manager, says the S-metolachlor herbicide did well in trials last year, despite difficult conditions with dry seedbeds hindering pre-emergence treatments and May rainfall leading to a late weed flush - see panel.

For fields with a relatively low grass and annual weed pressure, or for later drilling, Mr Watson recommends an application rate of 1.4 litres per ha.

Where crops are being drilled early, or there is a historically high weed pressure with black bindweed or fat hen a particular problem, he suggests Dual Gold at 1 litres per ha and pendamethalin at 2-3 litres per ha.

Further work has shown the product to be crop safe, with no significant effects observed when applied at up to twice recommended rates in 2009 NIAB maize variety trials.

There are no following crop restrictions after use in maize.

Trial results

  • 100 per cent of control of mayweed 65 days after application
  • Full control of all weeds when combined with pendimethalin, compared to serious fat hen problems in untreated plots
  • 80 per cent of black nightshade four weeks after application, two weeks after control with flufanocet had fallen to 20 per cent
  • Complete control of barnyard grass (cockspur) after four weeks and over 60 per cent after eight weeks, when flufanocet control had declined to less than 20 per cent at four weeks and 5 per cent at eight weeks.

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Also in: February maize special

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