NEW GRASSLAND HERBICIDE OPTION DELIVERS WIDER WEED CONTROL AND IMPROVED PERSISTENCY

A new herbicide combination for grassland farmers, that includes three active ingredients in the same mix, has been shown to provide quick knockdown, improved persistency and root kill against a wide selection of common weeds this spring.

The combination of Thrust (344 g/l 2,4-D + 120 g/l dicamba) with new grassland herbicide, Casper (50g/kg prosulfuron and 500g/kg dicamba), will provide farmers with a greater number of actives to target more annual and perennial grassland weeds.

“Grassland farmers appreciate that when weed infestations take hold in forage or hay crops, it can significantly reduce yield and quality,” says Justin Smith, agronomist and technical manager at ProCam. “This new combination utilising three active ingredients is proving that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts when it comes to grassland weed control.

“Thrust will be familiar to farmers for immediate control of docks, thistles and ragwort. Pairing this hormone with Casper doesn’t compromise flexibility, but prosulfuron inclusion elevates persistency and root kill. Similarly, gaps in Casper’s weed control spectrum have been addressed by the combination, with Thrust possessing a broader weed spectrum.

“The options available for grassland weed control have reduced in line with label restrictions pertaining to various situations, such as the use of clopyralid in crops cut for hay or forage. This means grassland agronomy requires a greater technical approach to ensure compliance,” adds Justin.

Applications of Thrust and Casper aren’t restricted in cutting and grazing situations, if intervals are observed, and early spring work has shown excellent control even in suboptimal conditions. However, applications must be to actively growing weeds at rosette stage using best practice and following guidelines.

He explains: “Applications in the East of England have shown good performance, despite a very dry start to the year, with weeds showing signs of drought stress. The diurnal temperatures have not been conducive to rapid kills, but we’ve seen big weeds knocked down and good control across a broad spectrum. I’d still advise farmers to not apply if weeds aren’t actively growing and grass is under stress.

“It’s also worth noting that the flexibility of Casper extends to use on horse paddocks and grass weed control in other crops, such as maize, providing farmers with more options for the product later in the season,” adds Justin.