As an industry we have learnt a lot very quickly about how to grow an oilseed rape crop while reducing establishment risks at the same time. This, combined with the demand for vegetable oils and the attractive price of oilseed rape, will mean a significant number of farmers will return to the crop this year.
Belkar® herbicide has spearheaded a fundamental change in farmers’ strategies for controlling weeds, paving the way for a much more flexible approach to autumn weed control in their oilseed rape.
With Belkar, only tackle the weeds that are visible and don’t spend on herbicides before you know how well the crop is going to emerge. Belkar offers outstanding control of key weeds including cleavers, cranesbill, poppy, shepherd's purse and fumitory.
Arylex™ active has been formulated with picloram to create Belkar and the product has a window of application from either 1 or 15 September (depending on the rate being used) through to 31 December, making it the ideal autumn herbicide.
There are three treatment options of Belkar which have performed best in trials:
- At two true leaves, an application at 0.25l/ha will take out the weeds which have germinated alongside the crop and, in some circumstances, that will be enough broad-leaved control before an application of Astrokerb® (propyzamide + aminopyralid).
- In high weed pressure situations where a second germination occurs, growers have the option to make a second 0.25l/ha spray usually two to four weeks after the first application.
- Depending on workloads, growers can wait until six true leaves of the crop – and after 15 September – to tackle bigger weeds at a rate of 0.5l/ha which will take care of the weeds going into the autumn.
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