Agrii used its trial plots at the Elsoms Seeds brassica open days on 12th and 13th October 2022 in Spalding, Lincolnshire to highlight the weed control and crop safety performance of current and near-to-market herbicides.

The Agrii trials plots at this year’s brassica open days were given over to weed control and the performance of both existing and several near-to-market products across a range of brassica crops.

The first trial demonstrated the effectiveness of several residual active substances for which regulatory authorisation is anticipated soon.  The performance of these products will likely be of interest to brassica growers as residual herbicides form the basis of most weed control programmes and efficacy is often affected by dry conditions after application such as that experienced this season.  Post-planting herbicide choices are limited to clopyralid and pyridate.  The new herbicide products in trial were applied either pre- or post-planting across six brassica crop types: pointed cabbage, savoy cabbage, cauliflower, calabrese, Brussels sprouts, and kale to highlight efficacy and crop safety.

The second trial examined the crop safety of existing and several near-to-market herbicides across a range of crops grown from seed. The vegetable crops include different species of alliums, brassica, legumes, roots, herbs and salad species.  Sunflowers and sweet William are also included as these are important field-grown cut flowers. Growers of these crops face a similarly limited choice of contact herbicides, so it is important to understand which residuals are likely to perform the best for the situation.