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In the February edition:

  • Spring weed control in winter oilseed rape with Korvetto
  • Cereal growers - prioritise weed control in the coming weeks
  • Protect spring nitrogen and improve efficiency with Instinct
  • News and views from the Corteva team
  • Update your communication preferences, enter our monthly prize draw, plus ways to earn IASIS points
Spring weed control in winter oilseed rape
with Korvetto®

As winter oilseed rape crops come through the colder and recent wet weather, many are carrying good biomass with canopies that have opened up. As we move through February, attention should now turn to spring‑germinating broad-leaved weeds, particularly where late flushes are already visible.

With soil temperatures starting to rise and fertiliser applications approaching, weeds such as cleavers, mayweeds, cranesbill, thistles, fumitory and poppies can quickly become competitive, taking advantage of nutrients and light ahead of rapid crop growth.

With recent wet and mild weather for February, crops are starting to move, therefore get prepared and ready for your Korvetto application.

Korvetto offers a simple and reliable solution for spring clean‑up in winter oilseed rape. Combining Arylex™ active (halauxifen‑methyl) with clopyralid, Korvetto delivers fast, consistent control of key broad‑leaved weeds while remaining safe to the crop. The two non‑ALS modes of action also support resistance management, making it a strong option where SU resistance is known or suspected, particularly in poppies.

Application guidance:
  • Apply from 1st March at 1.0 l/ha, once crops reach GS30 (start of stem extension)
  • Treatments should be made before canopy closure and before flower buds are visible above the crop (GS50)
  • Suitable for use in a wide range of conditions, avoiding frost or severe stress

Korvetto is ideally placed for tidying up fields in the spring, protecting yield potential and ensuring crops remain competitive as they move into rapid growth.
How to apply Korvetto
Cereal growers - prioritise weed control
in the coming weeks

Sprayer demand will rise in the coming weeks, but timely weed control remains essential. With limited application windows, large multi‑way tank mixes can be tempting, yet these often compromise weed or disease control.

Early applications are particularly important in forward crops, where weeds can become shielded by the developing canopy and are harder to control. Fresh flushes of grass weeds, including wild oats, ryegrass and brome species, are emerging alongside broad‑leaved weeds such as cleavers and poppies. These are far easier and more reliable to control when targeted early, allowing crops to move forward with a clean slate.

As most post‑emergence herbicides rely on foliar uptake, spray coverage is critical, especially in dense or fast‑developing crops. Early‑season tank mixes should be kept simple and focused on weed control, applied to actively growing weeds with good application practice.

A Zypar™ application at T0 can provide a cost-effective option for the early control of difficult broad-leaved weeds.
Prioritise weed control - spring spraying
Protect spring nitrogen and improve efficiency
with Instinct®

As spring nitrogen plans are finalised, protecting applied nitrogen from early losses is key to maximising crop performance and input efficiency. Instinct, containing Corteva’s Optinyte™ technology, works in the soil to slow the conversion of ammonium to nitrate, helping keep more nitrogen in the rooting zone when crops need it most.

By reducing nitrogen losses through leaching and denitrification, Instinct helps improve nitrogen use efficiency and supports more consistent crop uptake during early growth. It can be used across a wide range of arable crops including cereals and oilseed rape, and is compatible with fertilisers containing ammonia such as urea, UAN and ammonium nitrate.

With fertiliser costs remaining high and with significant and increasing focus on environmental performance, stabilising nitrogen with Instinct offers a practical way to get more value from every kilo applied this spring - helping nitrogen work harder, for longer.


Instinct – technical fit for spring nitrogen:
  • Mode of action: Instinct, with Optinyte technology, slows the conversion of ammonium to nitrate in the soil, helping retain nitrogen in the rooting zone and reduce losses from leaching and denitrification.
  • Soil suitability: Benefits are most likely on light soils prone to leaching and on poorly drained or waterlogged soils where denitrification risk is higher. Suitable across a soil pH range of 5–8.
  • Timing: Apply Instinct as close as possible to the main nitrogen application, ideally within 7 days. Where applications are separated, applying Instinct first is preferable; avoid intervals longer than 10 days.
  • Incorporation: Instinct must be moved into the soil, either mechanically or via rainfall. Around 12 mm of rain within 10 days is sufficient to wash it into the rooting zone. Cooler soil temperatures extend the period of stabilisation.
  • Compatibility: Suitable for use with fertilisers containing ammonia, including urea, UAN and ammonium nitrate, across cereals and oilseed rape.
Typical periods of spring use - Instinct
Visit our website to read more about Instinct and how it keeps more nitrogen in the soil for longer.
News and views from the Corteva Team

Events

This month has been another busy but exciting one for Team Corteva! We recently attended BeetTech, DairyTech, MGA Conference 2026, the Agronomy Exchange Conference and many customer briefings, where we had the opportunity to share technical insights and discuss the latest developments in crop protection and stewardship.
Agronomy Exchange Conference
Team Corteva at the Agronomy Exchange Conference
We're now looking ahead to GRASS 2026 in Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny, where we look forward to meeting even more growers, agronomists and colleagues from across the agricultural industry. If you're attending the event, be sure to stop by and say hello - we're excited to continue the conversations, hear your thoughts and answer any questions.

Find out more about the event and get your tickets here.
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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 also 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. © 2026 Corteva. Korvetto® contains clopyralid and halauxifen-methyl (Arylex™ active). Zypar® contains florasulam and halauxifen-methyl (Arylex™ active). Instinct® contains nitrapyrin.