Teagasc is confirming the importance for grain growers to get on with weed control measures in winter cereal crops, as a matter of priority.
Crops specialist, Shay Phelan, has looked at the options for weed control in winter barley, wheat and oilseed rape.
“While many growers will opt for spring applications for winter barley, where grass weeds can be an issue, these will need to be treated as soon as land is trafficable.
“Most product will claim to control annual meadow grass up to the three-leaf stage,” he explained.
“However, once tillering starts, then control becomes more difficult. Options on winter barley are limited, with flufenacet, prosulfocarb, pendimethalin or chlotoluron, only effective on small grass weeds.”
According to Teagasc, Firebird Met has a new latest timing up to GS25 and other products, such as Firebird, Tower, Stomp, Defy and Diflanil are the main options either as solo products or in mixes.
“Growers should consult the label for the weeds controlled by each product to see what are the best options for each field situation, bearing in mind different products may be needed for different fields,” Phelan said.
Oilseed rape
For oilseed rape crops, many of which may have only received a graminicide to control volunteer cereals, many growers have opted to use Astrokerb or Kerb to do the majority of the weed control, according to Teagasc.
These will control problem grass weeds, while the aminopyralid in the Astrokerb will give more broad-spectrum weed control, including groundsel; poppy; bindweed; and mayweed.
Caution is advised, however, as crops sprayed with Astrokerb must have the straw incorporated and not baled.
These fields should be entered into the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) on the 2024 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application, if you have not reached the limit with cereal crops.
Both Kerb and Astrokerb work best when soil temperatures are below 8oC and are dropping, so this week may be the ideal timing for the two products.
Winter wheat
For winter wheat crops, there are still plenty of options to control grass weeds in the spring.
These include products such as: Pacifica Plus; Broadway Star; Monolith; or Alister Flex. All will give good control of bromes etc.
However, e.g., Broadway Star will not control annual meadow grass. So again, choose products to control the different target weeds in different fields.
BYDV
Weed control and insecticide application often go hand in hand at this time year. However, things may be different.
The recent wet weather normally would reduce aphid flight, as is seen by previous results from the aphid suction towers that Teagasc has placed in different parts of the country.