In Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire Broadway Sunrise has seen success for ProCam customers.
ProCam agronomist Chris Goss and Cambridgeshire farm manager Michael Goody have been impressed with the results on blackgrass after using Broadway Sunrise for the first time. They have both said they are both looking to use the Dow AgroSciences product again – and early spring is the next time to strike, according Dow AgroSciences’ cereal herbicide specialist Stuart Jackson.
Despite cold weather at the beginning of the month, the mild winter weather overall has meant weeds have continued to grow. Mr Jackson says: "Now is the time to crack on and tackle any surviving grassweeds. The weather is turning mild and there really is no time like the present."
Stonehouse Farm in Oxon had blackgrass levels of around 50-60 plants per metre square in the winter wheat. Mr Goss achieved control of 99% using Broadway Sunrise, which contains pyroxsulam and pendimethalin.
He applied it in late October in good weather conditions and within three weeks he was seeing control.
Mr Goss says besides good blackgrass control he also saw results on speedwell, poppy and cranesbill a few weeks later.
Mr Goss says: "At the moment it looks as though all I will need in the spring is a dose of Starane 2, although it could well need a late treatment for Wild Oats as there are a few spring ones germinating already."
He says that Broadway Sunrise was effective on grass weeds like sterile brome and ryegrass, and it controlled an extensive range of broad leaved weeds too.
"This is a very strong attribute as Broadway Sunrise is equivalent on blackgrass control," he adds.
Mr Goss says compared to mesosulfuron-methyl and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodiumproducts, Broadway Sunrise was better on fighting cleavers and volunteer beans. He was most impressed with the performance of Broadway Sunrise compared to mesosulfuron-methyl and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodiumon on wild oats.
In Cambridgeshire Michael Goody is the Farm Manager of Babraham Farms, which covers 1,400 acres. He was advised by ProCam agronomist and director of business development Steve Wolff to use Broadway Sunrise after blackgrass was found on the farm.
Mr Goody says: "So far the results have been very good – Steve knows the farm right through. Normally with new products, I’m very sceptical and I don’t like to be the guinea pig – I’d rather others tested things first. I’ve used Broadway Star before and it’s done a good job and this time Steve advised we try Broadway Sunrise. I don’t want to spend unnecessarily but I went with his recommendation."
He adds: "We used it on around 22ha – some Broadway Sunrise was put on to whole fields as well as part fields and on those there was a distinct line where it had been used. There were field beans planted last year and there was a bit of blackgrass. I wish I’d done the whole lot."
Mr Goody says he occasionally sees cleavers and volunteer potatoes, and he’s considering using Broadway Sunrise again.
Dow AgroSciences Mr Jackson says time is of the essence. "Early control will be important this spring as autumn weather conditions meant autumn-applied residual treatments have run out of steam earlier than normal," he says.
