By and large tillage farmers have enjoyed favourable drilling conditions this year - a relief, no doubt, after the previous autumn’s relentless rain.
As winter crops are gradually being drilled up, farmers could be forgiven for shutting the gate on fields until the spring.
Tempting as it may seem, a herbicide application in October or November should make life that little less complicated when fieldwork begins again in the spring.
Extreme weather events are becoming more and more common. The phrase ‘make hay while the sun shines’ doesn’t just apply to harvest - getting ahead while conditions are on your side is a good philosophy year-round.
Getting ahead with weed control is a wise tactic and provides a level of protection for those looking to safeguard their businesses against uncertainty and volatility.
Applying the right product is as important as applying one in the first place. Skipping a contact herbicide is tempting, but trials consistently show that the best results for both weed control and boosting yield come from applying a vigorous pre-emergence programme with an early follow-up spray.
Well-timed applications can be difficult thanks to shorter days, fluctuating temperatures and frequent rain, but worth it in the long run.
Tackling weeds while they are still small is more effective and prevents competitive growth within the crop. Using a residual followed by a post-emergence herbicide with a different mode of action is a vital part of any good resistance management strategy.
That’s why Broadway® Star has been an essential component of autumn and spring grassweed programmes for many years. It delivers 99% control of sterile brome when used following an application of pendimethalin plus flufenacet.
Now is also the perfect time for broadleaf weed control. Zypar® can tackle a wide range of autumn-germinating broadleaf weeds, such as poppy,chickweed and groundsel.
And because it contains the ArylexTM active it will continue to work in cold and fluctuating temperatures, unlike other comparable products.
Many farmers have seen the benefits of an autumn application of Zypar together with a picolinafen-based product such as Flight as together they control meadow grass and broadleaf weeds in a single application.
We live in uncertain times, with an unpredictable climate. However, our tried and tested herbicide programmes will provide a defence no matter what the winter brings.