With the principles of regenerative agriculture somewhat in vogue at present, alongside an increasing awareness of the benefits of widening the arable rotation, many arable farms now include some areas of grassland.
But with any new species comes new weed challenges and for grassland, these predominantly consist of docks, thistles and ragwort, explains Brent Gibbon, Nufarm’s agronomy manager. “Grass is just another crop on the farm and weed control is a key element to maintain production and quality. As we move into the spring, April and May are great months to focus on this in order to keep grassland productive and free of pernicious weeds across the season ahead.”
Nufarm manufacture grassland herbicides at Wyke in West Yorks and have put together a range of agronomy solutions for weed control in all grassland situations. Brent says that the following examples cover some of the main problem scenarios:
Scenario 1: Dock control in silage and hay fields
Agronomy solution: Thrust 3.5 l/ha (dicamba + 2,4-D)
“In this situation, I recommend applying Thrust in 200 l/ha of water to actively growing docks at the leafy rosette stage,” explains Brent. “Thrust will also control thistles, buttercup and ragwort.
“Time your application to allow at least three weeks before cutting, preferably a full month, as this allows the herbicide time to translocate into the roots.
“If clover is present, apply Squire Ultra (amidosulfuron) at 60g/ha for dock control with safety to white clover.”
Scenario 2: Weed control in new sown leys
Agronomy solution: PastureMaster (2,4-D + MCPA) 2.5 l/ha + fluroxypyr 0.75 l/ha
“This mix provides control of perennial and annual broadleaf weeds in newly sown grass leys,” explains Brent. “Predominantly, it’s great for controlling competitive weeds such as fat hen, seedling thistles, docks and chickweed up to six-leaf stage.
“In terms of usage, apply in 200 l/ha of water once the grass has reached three-leaf stage. If white clover is present in the new ley, apply Squire Ultra at 40g/ha as a clover safe alternative”.
Scenario 3: Spot treatment, knapsack application
Agronomy solution: Depitone Ultra (2,4-D ester) 100ml in 10 litres of water.
“Phenoxy herbicide, Depitone Ultra, is an economical way to control perennial weeds such as docks, thistles, nettles and buttercup,” explains Brent. “It’s also effective on brambles if applied to new growth in spring.”
“Spot treatments are also permitted under Countryside Stewardship options, further making this a good choice for weed control this season.”
