The list of maincrop potato varieties to which metribuzin can safely be applied as a pre-emergence herbicide treatment has been extended with the addition of Elland. Tests on several other varieties are also showing promising initial results, with trials ongoing to assess the crop safety of ADAMA’s 70% w/w metribuzin product, SHOTPUT^®.

“ADAMA UK has spent several years testing a collection of newer potato varieties for metribuzin selection,” explains Dr Bill Lankford, ADAMA’s Herbicides Technical Specialist.

“As a result, several new varieties have been added to the list of those to which Shotput can be applied at the pre-emergence timing, with Elland (an early maincrop variety from Cygnet PB) the latest to be added.”

Several other early and maincrop varieties were also tested in 2023, with initial results indicating that an additional eight varieties (see list below) displayed no commercially unacceptable symptoms of metribuzin sensitivity when pre-emergence applications of Shotput were made at both the 0.75kg/ha and 1.5kg/ha rates on sandy loam or clay loam soils.

“At present, the latter results are provisional, with more trials scheduled to take in due course to validate the findings,” Dr Lankford explains. “So far, the results look very promising, and we are confident that Shotput will soon be approved for growers to use on a wider range of varieties. We look forward to publishing an updated list of Shotput-approved varieties once the necessary testing regime has been concluded.”

Provisional information

The following varieties were tested in 2023 only, and all were found to show no commercially unacceptable symptoms from the pre-emergence application of Shotput: Baby Lou, Georgina, King Russet, Lucera, Soraya, Tyson, Edison, Babylon.

For more information about Shotput visit www.adama.com/uk