They can be so difficult to combat, and are devastating to yield and profit if they escape herbicide programmes.
To make matters worse, grass weeds are definitely becoming more of a problem. They are spreading geographically and increasing in intensity.
Ryegrass is also showing signs of becoming resistant to some herbicides in certain areas. But now your farmers have a real opportunity to win the battle.
After what has seemed a long wait, clients growing wheat and triticale can now incorporate Sakura into their grass weed herbicide programmes.
Sakura contains pyroxasulfone, a new active ingredient for New Zealand but one which has been used with great success for
a number of years against herbicide resistant ryegrass in Australia.
In NZ, Sakura delivers the strongest defence against difficult grass weeds.
It controls all ryegrasses, vulpia hair grass,annual poa, soft brome and barley grass. It also provides suppression of ripgut
brome, wild oats and prairie grass.
Sakura controls grass weeds before they control your clients’ crops.
Applied pre-emergence of both the crop and weeds, it removes early season weed competition which has a very detrimental impact on crop establishment.
GETTING THE BEST FROM SAKURA
To get the best from Sakura it should be applied to a firm, moist seedbed with clods no greater than 3 cm.
Because Sakura works by disrupting the meristematic growing point in the roots of weeds as they grow through the treated
layer, it is important to minimise soil disturbance once applied.
If applied to a moist seedbed then there is sufficient moisture around the soil to activate Sakura and, as such, activating the herbicide’s defence against grass weeds isn’t reliant on rainfall.
However, when targeting ripgut brome, prairie grass or wild oats, moderate rainfall may increase both the level and consistency of control.
WHAT ABOUT BROAD LEAVED
WEEDS?
While Sakura is a specific grass weed herbicide the option is there to mix with broadleaved weed herbicides such as Firebird.
There will also be situations where Firebirdis the product of choice because the principle target is broad-leaved weeds with the addition of vulpia hair grass and annual poa.
Whatever your farmers’ autumn herbicide programme, be it Sakura, Firebird or Sakura plus Firebird, remind them to expect to apply a follow up herbicide such as Othello OD in the spring.
Controlling weeds season long from an autumn herbicide is a very difficult challenge.
WEED RESISTANCE
Grass weed resistance is increasing but we can all help slow down its development by applying herbicides with different modes of action.
Sakura is a group K herbicide and it is the first time this group has been available to use against bromes and wild oats.
As the last of the crops are harvested it is time to plan your herbicide programmes. It is great to now have more choice.