Two products changing the game for brassica growers in New Zealand

Consistently producing successful forage brassicas is a juggling act; a fine balance of multiple factors, any one of which has the potential to damage your crop and derail your season. Of these varying factors, one of the most critical is weed control.

The goal of any weed control program is a relatively straight-forward one – protect the crop by reducing competition for light, moisture and nutrients. The most effective control comes from a dense crop canopy, making rapid emergence, growth and establishment a key consideration.

Corteva Agriscience has earned a reputation as the 'Brassica Protection Specialists', developing a full suite of herbicides designed to alleviate the stress and eliminate the guesswork involved in weed control. Two of those products in particular – Korvetto and Milestone – have become essential resources for local growers.

Korvetto – with Arylex Active - is an innovative herbicide that's highly-effective against some of New Zealand's most invasive weeds, including Fathen, Nightshades, Shepherd's Purse and Fumitory. It also delivers unparalleled flexibility, with its short plant back periods allowing farmers to plant clover just three months after application, and fodder beet after six.

Korvetto has an excellent crop safety profile across brassica varieties, and a built-in MSO adjuvant, making it easy to use with no need for the addition of wetting agents.

Milestone is the ultimate solution for hard-to-control weeds, with its advanced, high-strength formulation proving devastating to the likes of Spurrey, Amaranthus , Water Pepper and California Thistle. Improved crop safety, combined with reduced packaging and handling requirements, have helped make it a staple on farms right around the country.

The efficacy of Corteva Agrisciences' products has much to do with the company's blend of local knowledge and global expertise. Operating for over 75 years in New Zealand, they've been developing and producing sustainable weed, pest and disease control solutions and gaining a peerless understanding of everything from the local conditions to the needs of Kiwi farmers.

Those insights are backed by the resources and reach of their parent company, an international leader in seed technologies and crop protection solutions. Considered the world's only agri-science innovator that is solely focused on agriculture, the organisation invests heavily in research and development, striving to 'protect and preserve the source of the world's food'.