Reminder of double strength Dow Shield 400 and an update of recommended crops

Last spring a new double strength formulation of Dow Shield was launched for post-emergence use in sugar beet, oilseed rape, grassland and a range of other arable crops. Growers are reminded that this formulation contains twice as much clopyralid as Dow Shield 200, so dose rates are half that of Dow Shield 200 (at 0.5 litres/hectare in many crops, delivering 200 gms of clopyralid). It can be used from the 1st March to the 31st August.

Dow Shield 400 has label recommendations for a wide range of crops including sugar beet, red beet, fodder beet, mangels, oilseed rape, grassland, ornamentals, winter wheat, spring wheat, winter barley, spring barley, oats, swede and turnips.  “Bulb onions, cabbage, broccoli/calabrese, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, linseed and forage maize were added to the label for this year,” says David Roberts of Dow AgroSciences.

"Dow Shield 400 is an important and effective herbicide for the control of difficult perennial and annual weeds and it warrants a long list of crops on which it can be used. This spring where we are likely to see a much larger area of spring sown crops, the broader crop list for Dow Shield 400 will be welcomed by growers coping with difficult weed control choices. In addition to the crops on its label, Dow Shield 400 has a number of Extensions of Authorisation for Minor Uses (formerly SOLAs) including asparagus, apple, crab apple, pear, chard, spinach, spinach beet, poppy for morphine, broad-leaved trees, coniferous trees, grassland seed crops, durum wheat, rye, triticale, borage, canary flower, evening primrose, honesty, mustard, outdoor leaf herbs, corn gromwell, forest nursery, hops, outdoor edible crops, outdoor non-edible crops, crops for game cover, outdoor farm forestry, outdoor hemp for fibre, outdoor Miscanthus and top fruit,” says David.

Dow Shield 400 controls creeping thistles, volunteer potatoes and a range of annual broad-leaved weeds including corn marigold, groundsel, mayweeds and smooth sow-thistle.

The concentrated new formulation of Dow Shield 400 has the same weed control efficacy, the same excellent crop selectivity and the same excellent compatibility as Dow Shield 200.  “Growers who have been using Dow Shield in sugar beet and other crops can be assured of consistent and robust performance with this new concentrated herbicide formulation. They will also benefit from fewer packs to open, rinse and clean with a much quicker turnaround, important at a busy time of year. The new Dow Shield 400 pack has self-seal technology and no induction seal, so there is no aluminium induction foil to open get rid of, making the spraying process more efficient and pack disposal much easier and quicker.”

Dow Shield 400 contains 400 g/litre of clopyralid formulated as a soluble concentrate and packed in a 2 litre pack. In sugar beet it is recommended at a maximum individual dose rate of 0.5 l/ha with a maximum total dose of 0.75l/ha. It can be applied post-emergence up to when crops meet between the rows (BBCH 39). In oilseed rape Dow Shield 400 is recommended at a maximum individual dose of 0.5 l/ha up to before flower buds are visible from above the crop canopy and in winter and spring wheat, barley and oats it is recommended at a maximum individual dose of 0.175 l/ha before 3rd node detectable stage. In grassland it has a maximum individual dose of 0.5 l/ha and a latest time of application of 7 days before harvest or cutting for hay or silage. In maize it is recommended at a dose rate of 0.25 l/ha up to and including 9 or more true leaves unfolded. Applications must not be made earlier than the 1st March in the year of harvest.