Cleavers are appearing in many winter and spring cereal crops, threatening to cause lodging and wreak havoc at harvest, says Dow AgroSciences. There is still time to protect crops against pernicious broad-leaved weeds but farmers must act now.

“Winter cereal crops have looked generally free of broad leaved weeds for much of the growing season,” says Stuart Jackson, cereal herbicide specialist at Dow AgroSciences. “However, cleavers are now appearing in many crops. Residual activity from autumn and early-spring treatments has run out, but harvest is still some weeks away. Any small cleavers will now grow rapidly with the potential to hamper harvest, not to mention a legacy of returned seed for following crops.”

A new solution to the cleavers challenge is Dow AgroScience’s concentrated broad-leaved weed herbicide Starane® Hi-Load, capable of controlling cleavers even at this late stage. In winter wheat and barley, it can be applied right up to GS45.

The new formulation is ideal for this busy time of year. Excellent tank mix compatibility means it can be applied with a wide range of treatments. What’s more the concentrated formulation of fluroxypyr means each pack treats more hectares, speeding up sprayer turnaround.

In spring cereals, recent rain has led to more weeds becoming apparent. Not only cleavers, but flushes of black bindweed and chickweed have appeared, which all threaten to cause harvest difficulties and reduced yields. Here, Starane® Hi-Load is ideal and can be used up to GS 39 in spring wheat and spring barley. It mixes well with other herbicides including sulphonyl ureas and ‘phenoxy’ type herbicides.

Mr Jackson says: “In some crops, volunteer rape can be seen above canopies. In these situations, where either no broad-leaved weed herbicide was applied, or it was ineffective, there are likely to be a range of other weed species present, including cleavers, which will need inspecting and treating.

“Even at this stage, treating with Spitfire® (fluroxypyr + florasulam) can provide control of a wide range of species and help limit yield losses.”