ADELAIDE research business, Plant Science Consulting, regularly investigates new weed control products and recently compared new chemistry for broadleaf weeds against an existing standard, including under different light conditions.
Dr Peter Boutsalis said pot trials compared the new Group H and C herbicide, Talinor, alongside another Group H and C herbicide, Velocity, applied at the four-leaf and six-leaf weed stages.
Talinor comprises the Group H herbicide active ingredient, bicyclopyrone, as well as bromoxynil (Group C) and the crop safener, cloquintocet-mexyl, while the Group H herbicide chemistry in Velocity is pyrasulfotole, together with bromoxynil and Bayer’s crop safener, mefenpyr-diethyl.
Dr Boutsalis said wild radish and other weeds were grown in the pots under ideal outdoor conditions and received the applications with an accurate dosing sprayer.
He said the trial showed a pretty positive outlook for Velocity.
“Especially on wild radish, Velocity showed better activity applied at the three to four-leaf stage and then later at the six-leaf stage compared with Talinor – and also under different light intensity,’’ Dr Boutsalis said.
The pot trial showed that an application of Velocity at 600 millilitres per hectare with Hasten at one per cent at the six-leaf stage, costing $22.90/ha, achieved 87pc wild radish control under high light intensity and 79pc control under low light seven weeks after the application.
At the same time, an application of Talinor at 750 mL/ha with Hasten at 1pc at the six-leaf stage, costing $22.75/ha, achieved 45pc control under high light and 52pc control under low light.
A higher application rate of Velocity at 670 mL/ha with Hasten at 1pc, costing $25.10/ha, achieved 95pc wild radish control under high light and 92pc control under low light, while a higher application rate of Talinor at 1 L/ha with Hasten at 1pc, costing $29/ha, achieved 91pc control under both high and low light intensity.
Dr Boutsalis said with some other weed species, Velocity showed it was as good as Talinor, but it was better on wild radish, which was important if this was a key target in growers’ broadleaf weed spectrums.
He said there were a couple of weed species that the products were not as effective in controlling, such as wireweed.
Australian leader of Integrated Weed Management with Bayer, Craig White, said trialling the products in pots under different light intensity was valuable for the industry because there were some concerns over the effectiveness of herbicides applied in different environmental conditions.
“In southern WA growing areas in particular, there are many potential spray days with low light conditions and there have been concerns around the light intensity required for some herbicides, leading to suggestions not to spray in late afternoons, but this trial showed that light intensity was not an issue with these products,’’ Mr White said.
“Velocity does generally achieve faster brownout in the north, where the light is more intense, but the weed control in the south is also very strong.’’
He encouraged growers to apply the herbicide early in the season for the best control of wild radish and return on spraying investment.
The high level of crop safety provided by Velocity means it can be applied to a young crop without harm, while it also offers an effective option to assist resistance management programs.