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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
- Septoria and rust management this spring
- Protect spring nitrogen and improve efficiency with Instinct
- Ympact - giving spring crops the best start in 2026
- Supporting crops through early-season stress
- Pioneer P68106: a strong option for early grain maize
- Win 100,000 maize seed kernels: celebrating 100 years of Pioneer
- News and views from the Corteva team
- Update your communication preferences, enter our monthly prize draw, plus ways to earn BASIS & NRoSO points
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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.
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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.
Broadway® Ultra is a strong, broad-spectrum, economical fit for winter wheat and triticale this season, delivering control of bromes, ryegrass, wild oats, meadow grass and a wide range of broad-leaved weeds. It offers good tank-mix compatibility, excellent crop safety, flexibility within ALS sequences and favourable following-crop options.
Where broad-leaved weeds are already becoming more established, consider tank-mixing Zypar® with Broadway Ultra. Alternatively, a standalone Zypar application at T0 can provide a cost-effective option for the early control of difficult broad-leaved weeds.
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Septoria and rust management this spring
Winter wheat crops are generally looking well, but earlier drilling and disease‑favourable weather are increasing pressure from septoria, while the widespread YR15 yellow rust population raises risk further this spring. With resistance to SDHI and azole chemistry now a practical concern, fungicide programmes in 2026 must balance robust disease control with long‑term resistance stewardship.
T0 applications are likely to focus on rust, followed by a strong T1 approach for septoria and rusts. Guidance from NIAB and ADAS continues to highlight the importance of avoiding the use of two of the newest SDHI products in the same programme. Including alternative modes of action, such as Univoq™, provides effective disease control while reducing SDHI selection pressure - helping protect yield in the current crop and extend the effective life of key chemistry.
Used on more than 2 million hectares, Univoq provides that unique mode of action with lasting protection for your crop, laying the foundations for higher yields.
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Read the full technical update on disease risk, resistance management and timing strategies here.
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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.
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Visit our website to read more about Instinct and how it keeps more nitrogen in the soil for longer.
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Ympact® - giving spring crops the best start in 2026
With preparations for spring drilling underway, early crop establishment will be critical in setting yield potential - particularly where soils are cold, slow to dry with recent wet weather, or prone to early stress.
Ympact is a growth nutrition seed treatment designed to support crops through the most vulnerable stages of establishment by enhancing early root and shoot development and improving resilience to abiotic stress.
Inspired by nature, Ympact is a novel biostimulant seed treatment based on humic and fulvic acids with bonded nutrients, including zinc, copper and manganese. These organic nutrients and chelated micro‑elements are readily available to the seedling during early growth, helping optimise metabolic processes from germination onwards.
Why consider Ympact this spring?
Ympact is suitable for use on all cereal crops. Spring cereals grow rapidly and often face multiple stresses soon after drilling, including fluctuating temperatures, limited moisture and chemical stress from conventional seed dressings.
Ympact supports crops by:
- Improving early emergence and seedling vigour
- Increasing root biomass and rooting depth, improving access to water and nutrients
- Enhancing nutrient bioavailability during early development
- Supporting metabolic activity, improving tolerance to abiotic stress
- Retaining moisture in the seed zone - humic substances can hold approximately 7× their volume in water
Proven benefits in spring barley:
Independent and on‑farm work continues to demonstrate the value of Ympact in spring cereals:
- Improved shoot dry matter (+2%) and root dry matter (+3%) under a range of weather conditions
- Increased root hair development, supporting nutrient and moisture uptake
- Enhanced establishment leading to improved crop uniformity
In a Resilient and Ready farm trial in spring barley (Planet) on heavy clay soils in Essex, Ympact applied at 0.7 l/t alongside a standard fungicidal seed dressing delivered stronger early establishment despite dry conditions after drilling. Plant counts showed 16 plants per metre row with Ympact + SPD, compared with 10 plants per metre row with SPD alone.
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Further work using rhizotrons also showed a clear increase in rooting, with average root length increasing from 33 cm (untreated) to 42 cm with Ympact, reinforcing its role in improving early root system development.
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As drilling decisions are finalised, Ympact offers a practical way to support spring crops through early stress, improve rooting and establishment, and help protect yield potential from the very start of the season.
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Want to find out more?
Click here to read our Ympact Update 2026.
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Supporting crops through early-season stress
As crops come out of winter, variable establishment, waterlogging, low temperatures and early herbicide stress can all limit root and shoot development. Kinsidro® Grow+ is designed to support crops during this critical recovery phase by stimulating physiological processes that drive stronger early growth.
Kinsidro Grow+ provides physiological support by activating key hormonal pathways that influence cell division, root growth and foliar biomass. Its high fulvic acid fraction (62%) allows rapid penetration into plant cells, driving biological activity and nutrient uptake when crops need it most.
Key benefits include:
- Stimulation of root, shoot and leaf growth through increased cell division
- Improved chlorophyll content and photosynthetic activity
- Enhanced nutrient uptake capacity
- Stronger, more resilient crops better able to cope with stress
Proven performance in UK and European trials:
Across European and UK trials, 73% of trials showed a yield response, with an average benefit of +0.2–0.29 t/ha, particularly where crops experienced early‑season stress.
UK trials have shown:
- Increased root length and root dry weight
- Improved shoot biomass and crop colour
- Yield benefits when applied at mid‑tillering (GS25–30) or early stem extension
Ideal crops include winter wheat and winter barley for post‑winter recovery where crops are under stress or slow to recover. Kinsidro Grow+ is a foliar application ideally applied at mid‑tillering with herbicides, or T0 fungicide timing in cereals.
Kinsidro Grow+ helps crops bounce back faster after winter by building stronger roots and greener canopies – setting them up for better performance as the season progresses.
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Pioneer® P68106: a strong option for early grain maize
Interest in maize grown for grain continues to increase in the UK, particularly where earlier harvest, reliable maturity and consistent grain quality are key. New for 2026, Pioneer P68106 has been specifically bred to support early grain production, combining extra‑early maturity with strong starch development and dependable grain performance.
Added to the UK National List in 2025, P68106 is an extra‑early FAO 160 hybrid with a dent‑type grain texture, well suited to both favourable sites where an early, timely harvest is required and more challenging locations where season length can be limiting. In the latest PACTS® grain trials, P68106 recorded an average grain moisture at harvest of just 23.4%, supporting earlier combining and helping to reduce late‑season risk.
Yield performance has been equally consistent. In the same PACTS trials, P68106 achieved an average grain yield of 8.207 t/ha at 15% moisture, demonstrating that early maturity does not come at the expense of yield potential. Across PACTS trials, it has also delivered the highest average dry matter content in the Pioneer range, alongside consistently high starch levels – key drivers of grain quality and marketability.
Together, these results reinforce P68106 as a flexible, lower‑risk option for growers targeting grain maize under UK conditions. For those prioritising early maturity, reliable combining and strong grain performance, Pioneer P68106 offers confidence where it really matters.
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To find out more about P68106 and how it performs in trials, view the PACTS book here.
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Win 100,000 maize seed kernels:
celebrating 100 years of Pioneer®
To celebrate 100 years of Pioneer in 2026, we're giving five lucky growers the chance to win 100,000 maize seed kernels. All prize seed will be treated with LumiGEN®
Bird Repellent for added early-season protection.
To put this into perspective, a 50,000-kernel bag will typically sow around 0.48 ha, meaning the full prize covers approximately 0.97 ha, depending on drilling rates.
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News and views from the Corteva Team
Events
One of Corteva's Area Managers, Tom Rouse, a long-term supporter of Suffolk Agricultural Association's Tractors in Schools initiative also joined other farmers in taking his tractor to local schools. The farmers brought tractors into 115 Suffolk school playgrounds in only five days!
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Team Corteva at the Agronomy Exchange Conference
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We're now looking ahead to Farm Expo at Kent Showground on the 4th of March, 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.
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Competitions and offers
The Korvetto® Spring Clean Challenge
A brand new challenge has been landing on our UK X and Facebook channels every Monday since 2nd February - have you taken part yet? One winner is randomly selected each week from all correct answers across our social channels. Play weekly on the 2nd and 9th March! You also still have time until Sunday to comment on our latest short video about the weeds controlled by Korvetto. Click through to our post on Facebook here or X here. Open to UK residents, 18+ only. Each prize includes a Kärcher WD 2 Plus wet and dry vacuum cleaner, a Korvetto welly boot bag, and a pair of insulated work gloves.
Win a Broadway® Ultra VELTUFF® Protex1 jacket
We're giving away 30 jackets – tough, comfortable and made for life on farm.
Complete our short quiz by 30 April 2026 to be in with a chance. Enter here.
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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 @CortevaUK on X and Facebook.
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Get in touch with our hotline team
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CPD points
Subscribing to Corteva Agriscience Arable Update gives eligibility for 2 CP BASIS points and/or 2 NRoSO points and/or 2 CP points for those who are part of the BASIS Environmental Advisors Register (EAR) annually.
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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). Arylex™ active contains halauxifen-methyl. Broadway® Ultra contains pyroxsulam and mesosulfuron-methyl. Zypar® contains florasulam and halauxifen-methyl (Arylex™ active). Univoq™ contains fenpicoxamid and prothioconazole. Instinct® contains nitrapyrin. Ympact® contains Fulvic Acid, Humic Acid, trace elements including Copper (0.45%), Manganese (0.74%), Zinc (1.1%), Boron, Cobolt, Sodium. Kinsidro® Grow+ contains Fulvic Acid, Humic Acid, Potassium Oxide (10%) Sodium Oxide (3.75%) Sulfur Trioxide (6.25%) Boron (0.04%) Cobalt (0.04%) Copper (0.04%) Manganese (0.04%) Molybdenum (0.005%) Zinc (0.05%).  | | | | |