Graeme and Rosslyn Gale started Helicopters Otago with one machine in 1990, and today son David Gale, who runs their ag business, still uses Tordon just as they did.
 

The formulation is different and so is the name – Tordon Brushkiller XT.
 

But David Gale says when it comes to effective, reliable control of gorse and broom as well as a range of other brushweeds, it’s always been the way to go.
 

“We’ve stuck with the Tordon brand all the way through. We’ve used it in all its formulations. Everyone knows the Tordon name, and for us, it’s a superior product.”
 

With eight helicopters working in agricultural spraying, plus air ambulance, commercial, charter work and flight training, Helicopters Otago is based at Mosgiel.
 

David Gale says the ag business covers a wide range of terrain, from the coast to central Otago.
 

Ag services include seeding and liquid fertiliser applications as well as spraying. Tordon Brushkiller XT is used in a range of situations to enhance or restore productivity, from prime tussock land to weed-choked gullies.
 

“It’s a tool that we can use to put that land back into production,” he says. “The beauty of Tordon is that its grass friendly, and that it has the ability to kill a wide range of brush weeds, including both gorse and broom.”
 

Applied at recommended rates with 300-400 litres/ha of water, results are very good.
 

Peter Holden is national sales manager for the company behind Tordon Brushkiller XT, Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of DowDuPont.
 

He says Helicopters Otago is not alone in its loyalty to a product brand that was first registered in NZ over 50 year ago.
 

In its current formulation, Tordon Brushkiller XT comprises a unique mix of triclopyr and picloram with aminopyralid, which is unique to Corteva Agriscience.
 

“Aminopyralid makes a big difference to the reliability of the kill. The biggest challenge with aerial application is getting good coverage in often difficult terrain, so you need a reliable product to get a big kill from a single application.
 

“What we hear time and again is that our customers want to do the job once, and do it right. Good reputable applicators like

Helicopters Otago and Tordon Brushkiller XT help them achieve that.”
 

For more detail contact your local Corteva Agriscience territory manager.