A Black-grass control option in spring break crops

Resistant black-grass is the most difficult weed that Agrivice, independent crop consultants in Suffolk and Norfolk, have to deal with in both spring and winter crops.

Agrivice have conducted their own independent black-grass trials in winter cereals over the last 4 years and, with this and data from AICC trials work, have come to realise the importance of stacking chemicals and involving Avadex Granules (tri-allate) in their black-grass control programmes.

Agrivice Agronomist Iain Meaney states “the company has its fair share of difficult black-grass and so it is extremely important to do everything we can to control this weed across the rotation. We already use Avadex to help in the control of black-grass in our winter cereals and we are now busy introducing its use into the spring crop situation. Hopefully using this material throughout the cropping rotation should help to keep this difficult weed in check.”

Stuart Adams, Agronomist and Applications Manager, states that “one of the problems over the last few seasons has been the lack of local specialist application machinery to apply the granules. It is no good advising the use of granules to improve the level and reliability of the control of black-grass if the farmer cannot get these applied. To help our farmers in this situation we have purchased two Kuhn Aero 24m boom applicators. We are now able to get these granules applied for our farmers, accurately and on time.”

Iain reports that a high percentage of the company’s winter cereals were drilled this autumn and that, where possible, Avadex was recommended and applied to those difficult fields. “We are now looking to extend and improve black-grass control in spring crops and we are already gearing up for applications of Avadex to spring cereals, sugar beet and spring beans.”

Dr. Dominic Lamb of Gowan reports Avadex 15G Granules will not only help control difficult grass weeds such as black-grass, annual meadow-grass and wild-oats but will also control some broad-leaved weeds including cleavers, charlock, chickweed, mayweed and poppy.

When it comes to spring crops, Avadex Granules has full label recommendations for spring barley, vining peas, forage/dried peas, field beans, sugar beet, red beet, fodder beet and mangels and Extensions of Authorisation for Minor Uses (formerly SOLAs) for use in spring oilseed rape, linseed, canary seed, lupins and broad beans.

Avadex Excel 15G contains 15% w/w tri-allate, formulated as granule. It is recommended on all winter wheat, winter barley, durum wheat, triticale, winter rye, winter field beans, spring barley, peas, spring field beans, forage legumes, sugar beet, fodder beet, mangel and red beet. It controls wild-oats, volunteer (tame) oats and moderate populations of Italian rye-grass, annual meadow-grass and black-grass. Applied pre-emergence of weeds, useful control of annual broad-leaved weeds including cleavers, charlock, chickweed, common poppy, field pansy, field speedwell, forget-me-not, fumitory, ivy leaved speedwell, mayweed spp and red dead-nettle is obtained. It is applied at a dose rate of 15 kg/ha, with one application per crop. It is packed in a 1-ha pack (15 kg).