The contact active ingredient ioxynil is no longer registered on cereals in the UK (the last date that cereal growers were able to use it was 28 Feb 2015), but growers can still use a better alternative in the specially formulated bromoxynil herbicide, Maya.
“Over dependence on SU herbicides in spring barley has resulted in target site resistance being identified in a number of weed populations in the UK. The offending resistant weeds are poppy, mayweed and chickweed. Maya is an ideal mixer herbicide, adding to the weed spectrum of hormones and also to SU’s adding in Fat hen Knotgrass, orache and bindweed as well as the more specialist cleaver herbicides such as fluroxypyr and florasulam + fluroxypyr. Its use will also help in the management of the increasing problem of ALS broad-leaved weed resistance,” explains Dick Dyason, Technical Manager for Nufarm UK.
Launched last year we are expecting all those farmers who were using an ioxynil and bromoxynil coformulation such as Stellox or Oxytril CM in the past to move straight over to Maya this spring in their winter or spring cereals or linseed. “And Maya will control some weeds better than ioxynil– it is a little better on polygonums, bindweed, mayweeds, poppy, nettle, volunteer rape and volunteer beans. It is also crop safe and fast acting – the ideal herbicide partner.”
We know that there will be plenty of spring barley planted this spring as the Three Crop Rule comes into play as well as an increase in in spring oats and linseed so it is great to have a herbicide such as Maya to rely upon. Its performance is not in doubt. It just slots into any broad-leaved weed programme very simply and in a straightforward fashion. It also has a wide window of application – in cereals from 2 leaves up to second node detectable and in linseed up to 15cms crop height. It is most effective on seedling weeds. So there are plenty of spray opportunities. It can be applied in 200 litres of water but this can be reduced to 100 litres/hectare for the lower dose rates.
Dick concludes by saying that to see the revocation of a well-known and widely-used active such as ioxynil is a sad sign of the times, but it is great that a better alternative such as Maya can slot into its place.
