oilseed rape in autumn

Astrokerb®

Herbicide

Astrokerb® is a contact and residual herbicide delivering control of annual meadowgrass, poppy, mayweed and other grass and broad-leaved weeds in winter oilseed rape.

 

For more info call our Technical hotline: +448006898899 or email: ukhotline@corteva.com

 

View the new topic sheet to find out more about using oilseed rape herbicides in a programme.

About Astrokerb®

Benefits

Excellent grassweed control

Astrokerb® gives excellent grassweed control, the same as Kerb® Flo 400, both of which have No Known Resistance

  • controls fop/dim/den/ALS-inhibitor resistant species
  • gives you a clean start in the following cereal crop, minimising seed return
     

Broad-leaved weed control

The combination also controls broad-leaved weeds with the unique design of aminopyralid

  • controls ALS resistant poppies and mayweeds
  • works when temperatures are cold
  • binds to cellulose of the broad-leaved weed
  • active ingredient is not metabolized but released when the weed starts to grow
  • only binds to living cellulose tissue
  • washes off trash
  • some root uptake before it breaks down harmlessly in the soil

Crops

Oilseed Rape

Weeds Controlled

 

1.0 L/ha

1.5 L/ha

 

Up to 2 leaves

Established

Up to 2 leaves

Established

Annual meadowgrass

S

S

S

S

Barren brome

-

-

S

S

Black bindweed

S

R

S

MR

Black nightshade

S

R

S

MR

Blackgrass*

-

-

S

MS

Cleavers**

-

-

MR

R

Common chickweed

S

R

S

S1

Common poppy

-

-

S

S

Fat hen

S

R

S

MR

Forget-me-not

-

-

MS

R

Knotgrass

S

R

S

MR

Mayweed

-

-

S

S

Redshank

S

R

S

MR

Small nettle

S

R

S

MR

Speedwells***

R

R

S

MR

Vol. cereals

S

S

S

S

Wild oats

S

S

S

S

Key: S - Susceptible, MS - Moderately Susceptible, MR - Moderately Resistant   R - Resistant, *Use full rate of 1.7 L/ha for difficult blackgrass populations, **Germinating cleavers are MS,    ***Germinating speedwells are S, 1Chickweed control may be reduced where it is well established (over 10 cm diameter).

Technical Specifications

Product Registration Number: PCS 05322

Active Ingredient: 500 g/litre propyzamide + 5.3 g/litre aminopyralid

Pack Size: 10.0 Litres

Formulation: Suspension Concentrate

Maximum Individual Dose: 1.7 L/ha – the blackgrass rate. In other situations use 1.5 L/ha

Maximum Total Dose: One per crop

Latest Timing: Before 1st Feb in the year of harvest

Water Volumes: 200 – 300 L/ha

Spray Quality: MEDIUM as defined by the BCPC

LERAP: None

ASTROKerb and oilseed rape straw

Do not bale or remove straw from the field unless it is to be used for burning for heat or electricity production. The straw should be chopped and thoroughly incorporated after harvest.
Do not feed animals with treated straw, or use it for animal bedding, composting or mulching.
To optimise ASTROKerb's performance, there are three areas to be considered – soil temperature, soil moisture and weed seed depth. Soil temperatures need to be cooling - around 10ºC and falling at 30 cm depth, meaning the herbicide is slower to breakdown and that longer persistence is achieved throughout the weed germination period.

Good levels of soil moisture are needed to help the herbicide distribute evenly in the top few centimetres of the soil thus the soil moisture deficit should be less than 50mm and falling. Soils must not be waterlogged or saturated. Care must be taken to avoid any risk of contamination to water and importantly, all aspects of good Stewardship applied.
With regard to weed seed depth, germinating weed seed should not come from any deeper than 5cms as the black-grass would then be germinating from below the zone where the ASTROKerb concentrations are high enough to give good levels of kill.

Decades of trials and wide field experience across the UK and Ireland has demonstrated that using full-rate Kerb Flo 400 or ASTROKerb in November onwards gives the most reliable and most persistent control of grassweeds year after year. 

Tank mixes, sequences and programmes

Wide range of fully supported tank mix partners
Remember only 2 fop/dim applications can be made to an OSR crop. Consider a programmed approach with ASTROKerb to maximise volunteer cereal and other grass weed control
Do not apply a three way mix of graminicide + fungicide + ASTROKerb

However use a programmed approach to free up a tank mix opportunity of ASTROKerb with a fungicide
Call Corteva Agriscience Technical Hotline (+44 800 689 8899) for the latest on tank mix , sequences and programmes involving ASTROKerb

FAQs

Do I need a dry leaf for application of Kerb Flo 500 or AstroKerb?
The propyzamide active in Kerb Flo 500 is soil acting so spraying wet weeds at run-off or light rainfall after application is not an issue. Ideally, the rainfastness of ASTROKerb is 1 hour for the aminopyralid element. Spraying on a drying leaf is OK but if rainfall falls within 1 hour and causes run-off efficacy may be reduced. All applications should be made with due regard to water stewardship, i.e. do not spray where there is a risk of run-off to adjacent watercourses.

Can I apply Kerb Flo 500 or AstroKerb in a frost?

Kerb Flo 500 may be applied in frosty conditions but avoid application onto frozen ground where subsequent rainfall could result in run-off into watercourses. For ASTROKerb please ensure frost is off the target broad-leaved weed.

Which broad-leaved weeds does AstroKerb control over Kerb?
AstroKerb applied at 1.5 L/ha or 1.7 L/ha will give very good control of small (2-4TL) mayweed, poppy, chickweed, groundsel and pansy.When applied at 1.7 L/ha, AstroKerb can give high levels of control of mayweed and poppy (up to 8TL) and chickweed (up to 5 branches). Control of groundsel falls off after the 6TL stage, but is very good earlier.

What is the optimum timing for AstroKerb?
When targeting blackgrass in winter oilseed rape, we recommend soil temperatures at or below 10°C to get sufficient activity from propyzamide. The objective is to keep the propyzamide in the top 5cm of soil for as long as possible. Propyzamide breaks down slowly when soil temperatures fall below 10 C. Good control is achieved when a lethal concentration is reached in the weed and is a function of the length of time the weed is in the propyzamide zone and the concentration of propyzamide in the zone. AstroKerb will also give good control of poppy and mayweed at this timing. 

The propyzamide in AstroKerb forms a shallow layer in the soil, about 2.5-5cm, blackgrass seed germinating in this zone will be well controlled however blackgrass germinating below this will be poorly controlled. High levels of control are achieved where less mixing of the soil takes place (direct drilling etc.) and thus black grass seed remains within the top 5cm of soil. Avoid deep cultivations in a preceding winter wheat crop and in the oilseed rape crop as this will distribute black grass seed throughout the soil profile away from the 5cm propyzamide zone of activity.


Can the straw from oilseed rape treated with AstroKerb be used for animal bedding?
Oilseed rape straw from crops treated with ASTROKerb needs to remain in the field and must not be baled and used for bedding. It may be removed from the field to be used for burning for heat or electricity production.

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