Mateno Complete to reduce barley weeds in 2023

The EPE use pattern in barley was recently approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, adding to the existing registrations for Mateno Complete, including incorporated by sowing (IBS) in barley and wheat and the wheat EPE registration, while a host of new weed control claims also were added to the label in both crops.

The introduction of Mateno Complete IBS and EPE in wheat (not durum wheat) and IBS only in barley this season has attracted significant attention, with the Bayer product providing a new herbicide mode of action to the Australian cropping industry, aclonifen (Group 32), in a complementary co-formulation with pyroxasulfone (Group 15) and diflufenican (Group 12) herbicides.

National trials over several years have shown Mateno Complete, which also can be used with disc seeding systems in wheat, provides better weed control and grain yields than existing benchmark herbicides.

The IBS application of Mateno Complete in wheat was originally registered for control of annual ryegrass, barley grass, annual phalaris, silver grass and toad rush and suppression of wild oats, great brome and capeweed.

The original barley IBS registration included the label claims for annual ryegrass, barley grass, silver grass and toad rush.

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EPE use in wheat was initially registered for control of small silver grass, toad rush, wild radish, capeweed and prickly lettuce and suppression of annual ryegrass, barley grass and doublegee/spiny emex.

New label registrations for the IBS use pattern include the control of stonecrop, as well as suppression of Indian hedge mustard, denseflower fumitory and deadnettle in wheat, as well as the suppression of Indian hedge mustard and stonecrop in barley.

The registration for EPE application in wheat has been extended to include Indian hedge mustard, volunteer canola, deadnettle, denseflower fumitory, mouse-ear chickweed, stonecrop, lesser loosestrife, wireweed and common sowthistle.

The new EPE registration in barley helps control annual ryegrass (following an effective pre-sowing herbicide), silver grass, toad rush, Indian hedge mustard, prickly lettuce, mouse-ear chickweed and stonecrop and suppression of volunteer canola, lesser loosestrife and wireweed.

The new weed control claims on the Mateno Complete herbicide label increase the total number of weeds listed to 20, while the total number of weed claims across the four use patterns now rises to 51.

Bayer Crop Science marketing lead - broadacre Tim Wilkie said weed control options in barley traditionally had been limited, meaning the new powerful, triple mode of action herbicide would be a "game-changer'' for growers.

"Problem weeds have typically presented significant challenges in the barley phase of crop rotations,'' Mr Wilkie said.

"With the added flexibility to apply Mateno Complete in barley at the EPE timing from next season, this will critically provide control of weeds in the furrow and on the furrow shoulder that may have escaped pre-emergent herbicides.

"This has been a clear benefit for growers with the EPE applications in wheat this year.

"The EPE application in barley will also provide high level control or suppression of broadleaf weeds and will extend the window of activity to control later germinating annual ryegrass - another major benefit that we have seen in wheat this season.''

Mr Wilkie said there would be some key considerations for growers with the EPE timing in barley, however, including not applying Mateno Complete when barley has been sown with disc seeders or where sowing has left an open seed slot, as well as when crops may be under stress due to a range of environmental and/or agronomic factors.