Welcome to the Corteva™ Agriscience
Forage Agronomy Update - August
These regular technical notes come with CPD points and will help those interested in improving grassland and forage productivity on dairy, beef, sheep and equestrian enterprises. We post frequently on our social media channels, so you’ll want to make sure you’re following @CortevaForage and @CortevaUK on X and CortevaUK on Facebook.
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Controlling weeds in newly sown leys where clover is present | Weather warning | Autumn weed control in newly sown leys | Turning early maize into top-quality silage | Preserve the value of your grass silage | Using Forefront T after the last cut | Broad spectrum weed control in grassland containing thistles | Corteva's Grassland Innovation Platform at Lampeter | Applications now open for Cohort 3 of the Resilient and Ready programme | 24 Hours in Farming - #Farm24 | FAQs |
Contact us | BASIS and NRoSO CPD points
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Controlling weeds in newly sown leys where clover is present
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ProClova® XL has a label that supports use in newly sown leys up to 31st July. Consequently, where you have a weed problem and seek to preserve clover populations, then either top or plan an application of ProClova XL the following spring.
If you need to control weeds in newly sown leys after this date, Leystar® can be used until 31st August and Envy® until 30th November. However, please note that neither option is safe for clover.
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Active growth is an important requirement for good translocation of herbicide into weed roots to achieve a good level of control. With on-going drought conditions in many parts of the UK, it is important to allow both the crop and the weeds to recover before applying a herbicide to avoid crop damage and poor weed control.
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Autumn weed control in newly sown leys
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The most common weed issues after reseeding are chickweed, docks and thistles. However, a wide range of perennial and annual weeds will take advantage of warm temperatures and a moist seedbed to germinate, including mayweed, shepherds purse, annual meadow grass, redshank and pansy. Weed seedlings are more susceptible to herbicides than mature plants and are cheaper and easier to control at this stage.
Many grassland herbicide products can only be applied to 'established' grass. This is grass that is 12 months old, or more, at the time of treatment. Corteva Agriscience has two selective herbicides for use in newly sown leys - Leystar® and Envy®. These products can be applied once the grass has grown beyond the 3-true leaf stage.
Leystar can be applied to newly sown leys at 1.0L/ha until 31st August. It is suitable for use on spring established new sown leys. With a cut off date of 30th November, Envy can be used on both spring and autumn established newly sown leys at 1.0L/ha or 1.5L/ha depending on the weed size and spectrum. The 1.5L/ha rate is particularly important to use where docks are growing from root fragments.
Leystar and Envy are not safe to clover, but clover can be stitched in 3 months after after application.
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Turning early maize into top-quality silage
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With this year’s maize harvest expected to arrive up to six weeks earlier than usual, it’s important to plan ahead. The crop is likely to have a higher dry matter content and lower overall yield, but with the potential for excellent starch levels. This makes it an ideal time to focus on preserving feed quality.
Pioneer® brand silage inoculants are specifically designed to help you make the most of these conditions. By enhancing fermentation and reducing spoilage, they support the production of high-quality, stable silage, ensuring you retain as much of that valuable starch as possible.
Discover the Pioneer Inoculant range for use on maize:
- Pioneer Brand 11A44 and 11A44 Rapid React delivers significant improvement of aerobic stability; it suits situations where maize has very high dry matter and there is a very high risk of aerobic spoilage.
- Pioneer Brand 11C33 Rapid React contains heterofermentative bacterial strain LN4637 which converts lactic acid into acetic acid and propanediol. 11C33 is an all-round ensiling agent which is designed to increase ensiling efficiency and improve the aerobic stability of silage.
- Pioneer Brand 11CFT is a patented inoculant for maize silage with unique Fibre Technology. 11CFT reduces dry matter losses by rapidly lowering pH and it contains a novel strain of enzyme producing Lactobacillus buchneri to improve fibre digestibility. It also significantly reduces aerobic losses at feed out.
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Preserve the value of your grass silage
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The quality of grass silage can be compromised without the right preservation strategy. Whether you're dealing with high-sugar first cuts or wetter, later-season grass, effective fermentation is key to locking in nutrients and minimising losses.
That’s where the Pioneer range of silage inoculants comes in. Formulated with proven strains of Lactobacillus, these inoculants help:
- Speed up fermentation, reducing pH quickly to inhibit spoilage organisms
- Preserve more dry matter and energy, especially in wetter or more challenging cuts
- Improve aerobic stability, keeping silage cooler and fresher at feed-out
Discover the Pioneer inoculant range for use on grass:
- Pioneer Brand 1188: Ensures the best possible preservation in wetter grass (<25% dry matter) and low sugar situations because of the unique proprietary and complimentary bacterial strains it contains. These strains work in harmony to rapidly and efficiently lower the pH.
- Pioneer Brand 11G22 Rapid React: In addition to lowering the pH quickly, 11G22 is able to achieve aerobic stability from as soon as 7 days sealing, weeks faster than when compared to non-Rapid React formulation Pioneer inoculants. This inoculant is also available in a special formulation for organic producers, simply ask for 11G22 organic use when ordering.
- Pioneer Brand 11GFT: Triple mode of action; improves fermentation, aerobic stability and fibre digestibility. Incorporates patented microbial technology that leads to improved fibre digestibility due to the production of ferulate esterase enzymes.
- Pioneer Brand 11A44: Dramatically reduces heating in a wide range of high dry matter silages including high dry matter grass. Good choice where heating is a significant challenge due to high dry matter content, longer chop, summer or slow feed-out, or low compaction levels.
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Using Forefront T after the last cut
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At this time of the year, many fields that have been used for zero grazing, or silage, hay or haylage production are being turned over to grazing pastures.
In fields where the ability to produce quality forage has been compromised and high populations of docks, thistles and other unwanted weeds are present, consider an application of Forefront® T.
Forefront T is the most effective herbicide available in the market today for lasting control of tough perennial weeds in grassland. It gives the highest levels of control of docks, nettles, thistles, buttercups, dandelions and ragwort. When treating ragwort, ensure that there is no visual sign of the dead weed, and that partially controlled weeds have fully recovered before allowing animals to resume grazing the treated area. Apply at 2.0L/ha in 200 litres of water.
Grass must not be sprayed where it will subsequently be cut for animal feed (i.e. fresh cut grass (zero grazing), silage, hay, and haylage), fodder or bedding.
Where fresh cut grass (zero grazing), silage, hay or haylage is produced from this area in the following calendar year, any manure subsequently produced from animals fed on this must stay on the farm. This manure should only be spread onto agriculture grassland.
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Broad spectrum weed control in established grassland containing thistles being cut for animal feed
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If spraying grass being cut fresh (zero grazed) or for silage, hay or haylage, ProGrass™ used at 1.5L/ha in tank mix with the recommended rate of MCPA is a good solution and physically compatible. The shortest cutting interval from the application date for both when
tank mixed is 7 days, ideally though, wait 21 days to secure optimum weed
control.
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Grazed established grassland
Where the weed spectrum includes thistles and you are spraying grazing grassland, then the best option is to switch to Forefront® T.
Alternatively ProGrass™ can be applied at a reduced rate of 0.75L/ha in tank mix with Thistlex® at 1.0L/ha.
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Corteva's Grassland Innovation Platform in Lampeter
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Designed to show key areas of performance that enhance and guide on the use of products containing our two new actives to the grassland market, Rinskor™ and Arylex™, alongside existing products, our Innovation Days at Lampeter have been well attended over the last 2 years.
Rinskor is a clover-safe molecule and has been launched this year as a component of ProClova® XL. It has a label for use to control a wide spectrum of weeds in grassland containing clover. Where clover preservation is not needed in a broad-spectrum weed control situation, ProGrass™, which is based on Arylex, has been launched this year to meet this requirement. This is a formulation that works quickly, controls many unwanted weeds of established grassland, and can be used on both grass that is cut and grazed.
Some highlights that have been on show to advisors touring the plots over recent weeks:
- The temperature effect trial demonstrated that dock control is significantly compromised when ProClova XL is applied at temparatures below our 8°C.
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- An increasing area of multi-species leys are being established, and this brings further complexity to the management of weeds. Our trials show chicory and bird's foot trefoil showing good recovery post-treatment with ProClova XL when applied to a newly sown multi-species sward at the newly sown use rate.
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- A new product, coded GF-3731 containing Rinskor active, has a valued level of clover selectivity, but crucially also looks promising on both spear thistle and creeping thistles in established grassland and fat hen, redshank, seedling thistles, buttercups and dandelions in newly sown leys. GF-3731 should hopefully be approved in time for use next spring, and will of course have a great name.
- Forefront® T delivers emphatic control of docks and thistles when assessed one year after application. Forefront® Pro provides very similar control to Forefront T.
Both GF-3731 and GF-3488 (another new Arylex® containing product for grassland which should also hopefully be approved in time for use next spring) offers a significant improvement in buttercup control compared to existing standards such as Envy®, even when applied to large, flowering plants that have been established for decades.
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Applications now open for Cohort 3 of the Resilient and Ready programme
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Following the huge success of cohorts 1 and 2, LEAF and Corteva are embarking on a third round of the widely respected Resilient and Ready programme. This partnership provides training, technical advice and mentoring to support farmers in improving the sustainability and resilience of their enterprises, through extensive networks, industry connections and experience.
The strength of the programme is its farmer-led and bespoke approach whilst supporting the participating farmers to share their experiences with the wider industry.
If you are interested in being considered for Cohort 3, sign up here.
Visit our website here to find out more about the Resilient & Ready programme. You can also learn more by watching our short video below.
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24 Hours in Farming - #Farm24
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#Farm24 is the UK agricultural industry’s largest digital event, celebrating the hard work and dedication of the farming community. This year’s event took place from 7th to 8th August 2025, organised by Farmers Guardian and Morrisons.
Corteva Agriscience has proudly supported #Farm24 for several years and once again took part in the initiative, with this year marking its 10th anniversary. Supporting farmers is at the heart of what we do, with many of our colleagues being farmers themselves.
See how Corteva celebrated on our dedicated webpage here, featuring our team from across the UK and Ireland.
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A: The activity of spraying ragwort with Grazon Pro will make the weed palatable. This means that horse or stock will not be able to return to the field until the ragwort has fully recovered and is actively growing again. This is likely to take some weeks, so do not apply Grazon Pro to ragwort. If the problem is in a grazing field, then use Forefront® T and apply via a boom sprayer. This product is very effective and works quickly, but ensure that there is no visual sign of the dead weed, and that partially controlled weeds have fully recovered before allowing animals to resume grazing the treated area.
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For technical enquiries contact the hotline team using the contact details below. Or click here to find the contact details of your local area manager.
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Subscribing to Corteva Agriscience Forage Agronomy Update gives eligibility for 2 CP BASIS points and/or 2 NRoSO points. To subscribe and claim your CP points, sign up to the Forage Agronomy Update by clicking here.
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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 Corteva Agriscience Limited and its affiliated companies. All other brand names are trademarks of other manufacturers for which proprietary rights may exist. All manufacturers trade names and trademarks are duly acknowledged. © 2025 Corteva. ProClova® XL contains florpyrauxifen-benzyl and amidosulfuron. Leystar® contains fluroxypyr, clopyralid and florasulam. Envy® contains fluroxypyr and florasulam. ProGrass® contains triclopyr-2-butoxyethyl ester. Forefront® T contains aminopyralid and triclopyr. Grazon® Pro contains clopyrali®d and triclopyr. Forefront® Pro contains aminopyralid and fluroxypyr. Thistlex® contains clopyralid and triclopyr.
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