Non-phenoxy options for use with optical sprayers in summer fallow
Location: Yatpool, Victoria.
Phenoxy herbicides are at high risk of causing off-site damage to susceptible crops such as horticulture, therefore Sunraysia farmers are extremely cautious when using such phenoxy herbicides which is to the detriment of weed control.
We have compared six products registered for use in optical sprayers to investigate alternative herbicides to phenoxy products. Treatments were applied at 100 L/Ha with very course droplets. The weed spectrum at this site was Sow Thistle, Lesser Sow Thistle and Paddy Melons.
Documented are 360 degree split-view tours of each treatment plot visualising a comparative of pre-spray in the left viewer and three weeks post spray in the right viewer. The tours are accompanied by still images captured of weeds at three weeks post-treatments for each plot.
This trial was established on Tuesday December 15, 2020.
| Treatments | Active Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Crucial 4L/ha | CRUCIAL @ 4.0 L/ha (600g/L glyphosate) |
| Biffo 10L/ha | BIFFO @ 10.0 L/ha (200g/L glufosinate-ammonium) |
| Amicide Advance 700 at 4.8L/ha | AMICIDE ADVANCE 700 @ 4.8 L/ha (700g/L 2,4-D present as the dimethylamine and monomethylamine salt) |
| Amitrole T at 8L/ha | AMITROLE T @ 8.0 L /ha ( 250g/L Amitrole + 220g/L Ammonium Thiocyanate) |
| Alliance 4L/ha | ALLIANCE @ 4.0 L /ha (250g/L amitrole + 125g/L paraquat as dichloride) |
| Crucial 1.8L/ha + Terrad’or 40g + Banjo 1L/ha | CRUCIAL @ 1.8 L (600g/L glyphosate) + TERRAD’OR @ 40 g (700g/kg Tiafenacil) + BANJO @ 1.0L/ha adjuvant (725 g/L Methyl ester (canola oil)) |
Observations
Crucial has shown to be the most effective treatment within the trial demonstrating fast brown out within 2 – 3 weeks.
Biffo has also displayed strong results, although a little bit of green at the base of the plants is visible in the still images below but mostly browned out after the 3 week post spray period.
Eventually Amicide Advance gave total weed control across the trial plot but took additional time to work than Crucial and Biffo treatments.
Generally poor level of control displayed within the Amitrole T. Suppression but no death of the paddy melons. Sow thistle in this plot is hard to differentiate from the control as the control as the control was maturing and browning out naturally.
Possible suffered from contact issues with the direction of travel clearly evident in sow thistle with brown down the front of the plant but some green plant remained on the back of the sow thistle. No control evident of paddy melon with this treatment.
Similarly, to Alliance where droplet contact point is visible but not total control of the whole plant. Hard to reconcile against the excellent job of crucial on its own, although half the rate applied.
Untreated Control
Treatment: Crucial 4L/ha
Crucial has shown to be the most effective treatment within the trial demonstrating fast brown out within 2 – 3 weeks.
Treatment: Biffo 10L/ha
Biffo has also displayed strong results, although a little bit of green at the base of the plants is visible in the still images below but mostly browned out after the 3 week post spray period.
Treatment: Amicide Advance 700 at 4.8L/ha
Eventually Amicide Advance gave total weed control across the trial plot but took additional time to work than Crucial and Biffo treatments.
Treatment: Amitrole T at 8L/ha
Generally poor level of control displayed within the Amitrole T. Suppression but no death of the paddy melons. Sow thistle in this plot is hard to differentiate from the control as the control as the control was maturing and browning out naturally.
Treatment: Alliance 4L/ha
Possible suffered from contact issues with the direction of travel clearly evident in sow thistle with brown down the front of the plant but some green plant remained on the back of the sow thistle. No control evident of paddy melon with this treatment.
Treatment: Crucial 1.8L/ha + Terrad’or 40g + Banjo 1L/ha
Similarly to Alliance where droplet contact point is visible but not total control of the whole plant. Hard to reconcile against the excellent job of crucial on its own, although half the rate applied.
Acknowledgments
This project is supported through funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program and the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation.
