|
In the September edition
- Oilseed rape – should I stay or should I grow?
- Integrated weed management in cereals: Planning for autumn success
- Improve autumn nitrogen management with Instinct
- Late-season grass silage: Boost quality with Pioneer inoculants
- Early maize harvest: Lock in feed quality with Pioneer inoculants
- Update your communications preferences, enter our monthly prize draw plus ways to earn IASIS points
|
|
|
Oilseed rape – should I stay or should I grow?
It is once again a season of (at least) two halves. After an early cereal harvest, many growers drilled winter oilseed rape early, and where moisture was present, those crops have established well.
However, many growers held off drilling due to a lack of moisture. Therefore, some crops have only recently been planted.
The recent wet weather may have encouraged a second flush of OSR that was perhaps planted slightly deeper to germinate. The crop therefore will contain a range of growth stages.
Belkar® can be applied at 0.5L/ha from 15th September once 90% of the crop has 6 true leaves (GS16) or at 0.25L/ha if the crop is smaller than this. Growers must remember that the application rate should be governed by the growth stage of 90% of the crop.
Belkar controls a wide spectrum of broad-leaved weeds, including mayweed, fumitory, cleavers and shepherd’s purse. It has a wide range of tank mix options available including graminicides to control volunteer cereals, fungicides, insecticides and crop nutrition products including boron.
|
|
The recent moisture and warm soils have also brought slugs out in force. If you’re seeing signs of grazing, it’s time to monitor with traps and apply pellets once you hit the threshold of one slug per trap.
OSR continues to be a strong break crop option, with prices around €460/T and new high oil content varieties offering excellent margins. It also gives us a valuable opportunity to tackle tough grass weeds in the rotation using Kerb® Flo and Astrokerb®, which contain propyzamide - a key active with no known resistance.
Click through to explore expert guidance, stewardship tips, and weed control strategies for a successful OSR season in our latest article.
|
|
|
Integrated weed management in cereals: Planning for autumn success
Autumn weed control is essential to protect yield and ensure clean harvests. Persistent weeds like Italian ryegrass, bromes, and broad-leaved species (e.g. groundsel, poppy, cleavers) are becoming more difficult to manage - especially with wet conditions and limited spray windows.
Cultural controls: Delay drilling, use stale seedbeds, adjust seed rates, and rotate crops to reduce weed pressure.
Chemical strategy: Apply pre-emergence herbicides (e.g. flufenacet, pendimethalin, prosulfocarb) within 48 hours of drilling. Follow up with post-emergence sprays like Broadway® Star (pyroxsulam-based) at the 1-3 leaf stage for ryegrass and bromes.
Broad-leaved weeds: Use Zypar® at 0.75 L/ha on 2-4 leaf stage poppies, adding picolinafen for tougher populations. Groundsel should be treated early - before it matures and becomes harder to control.
💡 Tip: Ryegrass emerging in autumn can produce up to 23x more seed than spring-germinating plants - early action is essential. Learn more here.
Visit the Broadway Star product page here and the Zypar product page here for more information.
|
|
|
|
Improve autumn nitrogen management with Instinct®
Nitrogen in the autumn is quite vulnerable to environmental escape – warm soils mean rapid conversion to nitrate, crops with limited root networks struggle to pick up the nitrate, and more rainfall in the autumn can leach away nitrate or prompt denitrification in waterlogged soils.
Apply Instinct to keep more nitrogen available in the soil for longer and reduce losses through leaching or denitrification. Ammonium will be stabilised for about 10-12 weeks, depending upon soil temperatures. The cooler the soil, the longer the period of stabilisation.
Instinct applied just before slurry/fertiliser application will delay the conversion of ammonium to nitrate during the period when bacteria are active. This will reduce leaching and conserve nitrogen levels in the soil over the winter months. This could be vitally important when low rates of N are applied.
This can then give crops a great start early in the spring. We have seen improved crop growth in winter wheat when Instinct was applied prior to drilling in October. The picture below was taken in April.
|
|
|
|
|
If you have any questions or want to know more, please contact our hotline.
|
|
|
Late-season grass silage: Boost quality with Pioneer® inoculants
As autumn progresses, Irish farmers face unpredictable conditions that can affect forage quality. Whether dealing with wet or dry grass, the right inoculant helps preserve nutrients and reduce spoilage.
For wet grass: Pioneer 1188 improves fermentation, lowers dry matter loss, and increases microbial protein - ideal for treating high-moisture content grass.
For dry grass: Pioneer 11G22 Rapid React® improves fermentation and aerobic stability whilst reducing dry matter losses. Ideal for higher dry matter grass.
Why choose Pioneer inoculants?
- Faster and more extensive fermentation
- Improved aerobic stability
- Lower nutrient losses
- Tailored product choice for wet or dry conditions
|
|
|
|
Early maize harvest: Lock in feed quality with Pioneer® inoculants
With maize being harvested very early this season, crops may show higher dry matter and lower yield - but excellent starch potential. Preserving that feed value is key.
Pioneer inoculants help maximise silage quality by improving fermentation and reducing spoilage.
Recommended for maize:
- 11A44 & 11A44 Rapid React®: Boost aerobic stability - ideal for high dry matter maize at risk of spoilage.
- 11C33 Rapid React: Converts lactic acid into acetic acid and propanediol for better stability and efficient ensiling.
- 11CFT: Patented Fibre Technology improves digestibility, lowers pH fast, and cuts dry matter losses.
For more information on our Pioneer silage inoculant range, click here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Want to hear more from us?
Update your preferences and tailor your choices to make sure you receive the communications that are right for you. Don't forget to enter into our monthly prize draw by ticking the box before submitting to be in with the chance to win!
You can also stay in the loop with all the latest updates by following @CortevaIE on X and Facebook.
|
|
|
Ways to stay in touch
Area Manager and National Technical Manager: Liz Glynn, 00353 (86) 844 5306.
Visit our website www.corteva.ie for product information, labels and advice.
Our hotline team are on hand to answer any queries or concerns you have.
|
10 IASIS points will be awarded to those subscribing to this Agronomy Update.
|
USE PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS SAFELY. Always read the label and product information before use. For further information including warning phrases and symbols refer to label. ®, ™ Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. All other brand names are trademarks of other manufacturers for which proprietary rights may exist. All manufacturers tradenames and trademarks are duly acknowledged. © 2025 Corteva. Belkar® contains halauxifen-methyl (Arylex™ active) and picloram. Kerb®Flo contains propyzamide. Astrokerb® contains aminopyralid and propyzamide. Instinct® contains nitrapyrin.
|
|
|
|
|
