Supplier´s Website
Incorrect details?
Broadacre farmers should assess the potential weed burden of individual paddocks before autumn and tailor a pre-emergent spraying campaign to maximise harvest yield this season, according to Scott Paton, R&D Officer (WA), Nufarm Australia Limited .
“In paddocks where growers know or suspect a high weed burden, they should be considering a pre-emergent program to capitalize on the yield advantage which can be achieved,” said Mr Paton.
“The first four to six weeks of a crop’s life are crucial to setting its yield potential. That’s when pre-emergents are so effective – they minimise competition for moisture and nutrients from highly competitive weeds such as wild oats during this important growth stage.
“Pre-emergent products, such as Avadex Xtra and TriflurX, can be used together to allow grain crops to get away with minimal competition from wild oats and annual ryegrass, setting up the highest possible yield potential.
“Avadex Xtra prevents the deeper wild oats from emerging by attacking the development of the coleoptiles while TriflurX controls annual ryegrass at the soil surface by inhibiting root development.”
The annual cost of wild oats to the Australian wheat industry alone is estimated at $80 million. After annual ryegrass and wild radish, scientists and agronomists regard wild oats as one of the most abundant and difficult-to-control weed in the western cropping zone.
The incidence of wild oats resistance to Group A herbicides has increased throughout Australia due to the heavy use of this chemical group in the major cropping zones of Western Australia.
“It is best practice to limit the use of high-risk resistance products wherever possible by rotating herbicides with an alternative mode of action,” said Mr Paton.
“One option is to minimise using Group A post-emergent herbicides in the cereal rotation to maintain the efficacy of Group As on pulse crops and pastures and delay the onset of resistance to these products,” he said.
Avadex Xtra is a soil-applied herbicide, manufactured by Nufarm Australia Limited. It requires mechanical incorporation to maximise soil contact with germinating wild oats.
No cases of wild oats resistance to Avadex Xtra have been documented in Australia.
“Deliberate rotation of pre-emergent herbicides, which break the chemistry ‘cycle’, is one of the best weed management strategies to protect against wild oats resistance,” said Mr Paton.
Avadex Xtra is compatible with other leading pre-emergents, saving farmers time and money. Apart from TriflurX, it can be easily tank-mixed with the sulfonylureas and glyphosates including the proven Roundup range.
“A paddock management system incorporating Avadex Xtra and TriflurX will be the most cost-effective option for effectively managing wild oats and annual ryegrass weeds,” Mr Paton said.
8-Nov-2006
View all | RSS Feed 
Access over 2000 Farming and Agricultural jobs online!
