Interfarm

Full Approval for thinning agent in apples

noreply@blogger.com (Interfarm (UK) Ltd) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Just in time for the season, MaxCel® has been given Full Approval by the UK’s Chemical Regulation Directorate (CRD) for use by apple growers as a thinning agent for crops soon after flowering in order to increase fruit sizing and also to reduce alternate bearing.

This approval will be welcomed, as it means that apple growers won’t be totally reliant on hand thinning and can benefit from getting the right balance of crop load and fruit size, explains Dr. David Stormonth of Interfarm UK Ltd.

Dr. Stormonth explains that the active ingredient in MaxCel, 6-benzyladenine, is a cytokinin-type plant growth regulator found in nature. “This group of plant hormones affects a number of processes in plants including apical dominance, axillary bud growth, cell division and growth and also leaf senescence. MaxCel prevents fruitlets below a certain size from developing further, whilst fruitlets above a certain size will successfully grow on. Consequently expensive hand thinning costs are reduced. Fruit size is also increased due to reduced competition for nutrients and due to an enhanced rate of cell division and growth resulting in increased marketable yields. Enhancement of return bloom the following year helps reduce any trend by the orchard towards alternate bearing.”

MaxCel should be applied when the king fruitlet has a diameter of 7-15 mm, with the optimum range being 10-12 mm in size. It should be applied at the start of a warming period when the maximum daily temperatures for the 2-3 days following application are expected to be at least 15-18° C. Maxcel should not be applied when temperatures are below 15° C. One application can be made per year and the latest time of application is when the king fruitlet is 15mm.

MaxCel is recommended on all varieties of apples at dose rates of 3.75 to 7.5 litres/ha. The dose rate varies according to how easy or hard the variety is to thin and also the state of the crop. It is formulated as a soluble concentrate, ready for the grower to use and is unique in requiring no additional adjuvants. It is important to ensure adequate coverage of fruit and foliage without excessive run-off, with water volumes being adjusted according to tree size and spacing. Water volumes of 1000 litres/ha in air assisted sprayers will give adequate coverage of fruitlets and foliage. It is also important to use a water volume that allows MaxCel to be applied with adequate coverage, whilst delivering the correct amount of product depending on the variety and its ease of thinning. It is fully compatible with IPM programmes and is available in 5 litre containers.

“Achieving premium size grading is important for marketing quality produce and enhancing fruit size alone can more than pay for the treatment. The use of MaxCel can increase growers’ returns by reducing hand-thinning in apples, improving fruit size and quality. It also promotes strong return blooms for the following year, so it is not just the one benefit of fruit thinning,” says David Stormonth.

MaxCel is developed and manufactured by Valent BioScience , part of Sumitomo Chemical Company.

For further comment and information, please contact Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager, Interfarm UK Ltd. on 01354 741414 or 07818 036506 (mobile) or via e-mail david.stormonth@interfarm.co.uk

High numbers of wild-oats warrant treatment with Warrant

noreply@blogger.com (Interfarm (UK) Ltd) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:00:00 +0000

With reports of higher than normal spring-germinating wild-oats showing up in wheat, growers are being advised to plan which fields would warrant a herbicide application later on this spring, according to Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager for Interfarm UK Ltd.

“ADAS are reporting greater numbers of wild-oats appearing in wheat this year. With the economic threshold being just 1 plant every 2 square metres, growers should be prepared to apply a post-emergence herbicide once weed emergence is complete. Emergence this spring started around the end of February and most wild-oats are currently around the 1 leaf stage. There is still time to wait for the rest to emerge before applying a contact herbicide, but don’t wait until the crop canopy closes over and makes coverage difficult. A foliar-acting herbicide based on the active ingredient fenoxaprop-p, Warrant is recognised as being a very effective post-emergence grass-weed herbicide, particularly on wild-oats,” explains David.

“Warrant contains 83 g/l of fenoxaprop-p and the dose rate varies according to weed size. It is recommended at a dose rate of 0.33 l/ha plus an appropriate adjuvant for wild-oats up to Growth Stage 23, or 0.5 l/ha plus adjuvant for wild-oats up to Growth Stage 30, or 0.66 l/ha plus adjuvant for weeds up to GS 39,” advises Dr. Stormonth.

As well as wild-oats, Warrant has good activity on rough-meadow-grass and awned canary grass from two leaves up to Growth Stage 31 of the weed. “It can also be mixed with many broad-leaved weed herbicides to tidy up on weed control. Warrant has excellent crop safety and no LERAP,” reminds David.

He warns growers not to overlook wild-oats as they are the most competitive annual grass-weed in cereals. “This is because they have a very similar growth habit to cereals, yet can grow even larger, sucking up valuable moisture and nutrients as well as literally shading the crop. Wild-oats also contaminate grain and are costly to remove. They can act as hosts for some damaging viruses, insect pests and nematodes. Do not ignore wild-oats, especially in such as season as this when wheat prices are good and many crops look to have good yield potential,” says Dr. David Stormonth.

For further comment and information, please contact Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager, Interfarm UK Ltd. on 01354 741414 or 07818 036506 (mobile) or via e-mail david.stormonth@interfarm.co.uk

Controlling docks in grassland with clover

noreply@blogger.com (Interfarm (UK) Ltd) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Controlling docks in grassland which contains a white clover component is important to maintain forage quality and livestock output and Jock Logan of Frontier Agriculture who advises farmers in the Lothians has cracked the job through the careful and considered use of the herbicide Squire Ultra.

“Although it is not the easiest of products to get right, when you do get it right, it does a great job. I would normally be going for mid-April applications to small docks that are growing well in grass mainly grown for silage. I think Squire Ultra works better when the weather is warm and sunny but there needs to be sufficient moisture. I have found that the addition of an Approved wetter adds to its performance by affecting the docks’ leaf wax and allowing the herbicide into the weed more effectively. One key benefit of Squire Ultra is that it does not affect white clover and can be applied to seedlings from the one or two trifoliate leaf stage onwards, with absolute crop safety. Other products control docks OK, but then wipe out the white clover,” Jock points out.

Stuart Sutherland, Business Development Manager for Interfarm UK, points out that docks are the most economically damaging weeds in grassland. “They compete directly with grass, reducing yield and reducing effective pasture life as well as affecting forage quality. Docks are competitive weeds with large tap roots that survive over the winter period and well into the early spring. They are a real challenge to control.”

“Based on amidosulfuron, Squire Ultra controls broad and curled-leaf docks and other annual broad-leaved weeds, including cleavers, charlock, Shepherd’s purse and field forget-me-not in rotational and permanent grassland. It is fully systemic and, although slower acting than many other traditional dock herbicides, it moves throughout the weed, even into the roots. But, as Jock Logan points out, correct timing is key - not too early and not too late.”

The best time to apply Squire Ultra is when the weed itself is moving sugars from the leaves down to the roots, so that the herbicide is taken down to where it needs to be. Dock leaves should be expanded and horizontal and the plant should be the size of a large dinner plate.

Stuart explains that in the spring when docks are using up stored tap root reserves to grow, there is an upward movement of nutrients from roots to shoots. “At this point, root uptake of Squire Ultra will be poor and so herbicide application will be too early. But when the weed is “dinner plate size” this flow reverses to transport sugars back to the root system – ideal for Squire Ultra applications. When docks start to grow upwards, forming stalks and developing seed heads, the systemic flow reverses once again in an upward direction. Squire Ultra should be applied when docks are horizontal and “dinner-plate” size and when nutrients are moving downwards from leaves to roots. Soil moisture is also important,” explains Stuart.

“Squire Ultra knocks back docks well, but may not wipe them out completely in one application, unsurprisingly when you consider how large the root system can be. But used in a planned way over time, it will give good results with no crop safety issues or following crop problems, which is a definite advantage in grassland,” he says.

Squire Ultra contains 75% amidosulfuron formulated as Water Dispersible Granule and is packed in a 120 grams pack to treat 2 hectares. It is recommended on grassland for the control of docks, cleavers, charlock, Shepherd’s purse and field forget-me-not at a dose rate of 60 gms/ha. Squire Ultra should be used when docks are at a suitable growth stage between the 1st of February and the 30th June in rotational grass and between the 1st February and the 15th October on permanent grass. It has no LERAP and is safe to white clover. Keep livestock out of treated areas for at least 7 days after treatment and until foliage of any poisonous weed such as ragwort has died and become unpalatable. Do not cut for hay or silage for at least 21 days following treatment.

For further comment and information, please contact Stuart Sutherland, Business Development Manager for Interfarm UK Ltd., on 07887 755 576 (mobile) or via e-mail stuart.sutherland@interfarm.co.uk

Multi-site T0 treatment with no antagonism

noreply@blogger.com (Interfarm (UK) Ltd) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

The warmer winter, advanced lush crops, high disease inoculum and the high percentage of rust-susceptible varieties being grown mean that most wheat growers will be applying a T0 spray this year and the inclusion of the powerful multi-site protectant mancozeb at this early timing will deliver additional benefits over chlorothalonil and folpet.

“Usually applied from mid March onwards, the early T0 spray needs activity against Septoria and yellow rust. It also buys you time when it comes to the T1 timing in April. What is required is a cost-effective, broad-spectrum treatment to start the programme off and Quell (which contains mancozeb) at just 1.5 l/ha plus a triazole will certainly tick all those boxes and more. In addition Quell is non-antagonistic to other fungicides and provides “free” manganese, leading to improved photosynthesis making leaves greener, which boosts growth,” points out Dr David Stormonth of Interfarm UK.

David confirms that efficacy data from recent re-registration proves that the disease spectrum controlled by mancozeb extends beyond Septoria protection to include effective protection from yellow rust, brown rust, powdery mildew and ear diseases. “Chlorothalonil and folpet offers good protection against Septoria, and so does mancozeb. However mancozeb offers better protection against yellow and brown rusts. An important multi-site product, mancozeb is active, and is known to work at more than 6 different biochemical sites within the fungus.”

“One topical issue is that mancozeb is not antagonistic when mixed with triazoles. Many agronomists have noticed antagonism when chlorothalonil is mixed with triazoles, slowing down uptake and reducing efficacy. This has not been the case for mancozeb,” he says.

He explains that this difference can be explained by fundamental differences in leaf surface distribution and interaction of the two materials. “The relatively lower water solubility and higher log P means that chlorothalonil comes out of spray solution quicker and initially binds more strongly to the leaf surface, presenting a barrier to entry of other active ingredients. The high quality formulation of mancozeb in Quell redistributes on the leaf surface more evenly before binding, resulting in a thinner more even coating. Importantly, through vapour activity mancozeb protects areas of the leaf beyond the visible areas of fungicidal deposits. An area more than twelve times greater than the initial droplet size is subsequently protected.”

“In trials a treatment of 0.5 l/ha of epoxiconazole and 0.75 l/ha of chlorothalonil resulted in a yield decrease of 2.5%, whereas 0.5 l/ha of epoxiconazole with 1.5 l/ha of Quell Flo resulted in a yield increase of 11% over the untreated. This indicates the positive impact that mancozeb has when mixed with a strong triazole partner, an additive effect rather than an antagonistic one,” David says.

Dr Stormonth points out that, with the 50th ‘Golden’ anniversary of mancozeb registration, this multi-site fungicide is still going strong, with no fears or any evidence of resistance. Rated in the HGCA’s wheat disease management guide as suitable for resistance management, Quell Flo provides consistent multi-site protection and is suitable for wheat growers in the continuing battle against Septoria.

“It can help protect the long term sustainability of other fungicides with single site activity and we advise growers to integrate it into their disease programmes at T0 timing to be assured of strong protection against the key diseases and a lowered risk of resistance developing,” concludes David.

Dr. Stormonth reminds growers that Quell Flo can be used throughout the programme from T0 to T3. The standard dose of 1.5 l/ha can be used repeatedly throughout the programme up to grain watery ripe stage (GS73) and the maximum total crop dose is 9.9 l/ha.

For further comment and information, please contact Dr. David Stormonth, Technical Manager, Interfarm UK Ltd. on 01354 741414 or 07818 036506 (mobile) or via e-mail david.stormonth@interfarm.co.uk

SmartGrass – innovation in grassland production

noreply@blogger.com (Interfarm (UK) Ltd) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Livestock farmers can now look forward to enhancing the growth rate of their grass, leading to higher productivity and an earlier turn out, following the recent Approval by CRD for SmartGrass, a novel spray product that has been shown to enhance the natural growth of grassland.

Barrie Hunt of Interfarm explains that SmartGrass, which contains gibberellic acid, has been proven to enhance the growth rate of grass in the early spring, enabling earlier use for either grazing or silage by the farmer. “The Approval will enable the application of a completely novel product SmartGrass to enhance or accelerate growth of established rotational and permanent agricultural grassland. It will increase the growth rate of grass, enabling the earlier use of grassland for grazing or for cutting for hay or silage production. By the simple act of advancing the timing of the 1^st cut, this should naturally bring the whole growth season forward, allowing earlier grazing or advancing the timing of the subsequent cuts. It will also help with planning feedstuffs at turnout and reducing the need for supplementary feed.”

Barrie explains that, when applied to grass in the early spring, SmartGrass works by supplementing natural growth promoting plant hormones. It stimulates plant cell expansion and increases cell number, which results in rapid foliar growth. “Normally the spray window is around the end of March to mid April. SmartGrass increases the dry matter productivity of the pasture or sward, whilst maintaining quality of feed. In one set of trials in Devon, SmartGrass increased dry matter yield by 38%. The effect is at its peak around 4 weeks after application and the benefit lasts about 6 weeks. If you are looking to graze the grass, you will probably look to use the grass after 3 or 4 weeks.”

To get the best from SmartGrass, timing is key. Optimum results are likely when SmartGrass is applied at or just before the period of rapid spring growth of grass has started, which is normally after mid-March. This is also when day length and temperatures are increasing, thereby creating conditions suitable to encourage early season growth. The pasture should be moist, fertile and the air temperature warming and likely to remain so for the following 7 days. It is more effective when the temperature is 10ºC.

Avoid using SmartGrass if crops are suffering drought, pest or disease, low fertility or other stress factors that may reduce potential growth. It is advisable to keep livestock out of treated areas for at least 2 weeks to allow the grass to respond to treatment. SmartGrass is applied through conventional spray application.

Barrie Hunt reports that SmartGrass is a product that has been developed by Valent BioSciences Corporation, which is also part of Sumitomo Chemical Company. “It has already been used successfully in Australia, New Zealand, the USAand Chile and its UK approval follows three years development work across UKand relevant European countries.”

SmartGrass contains 400g/kg gibberellic acid (GA3) formulated as a water soluble granule and packed in a 20g sachet. It is a systemic natural plant growth regulator for use in fertile grassland used for grazing, hay or silage. It is applied at a dose rate of 20 g/ha in 200-400 litres of water and at a medium spray quality in the early spring at the start of growth, during a warm period with temperatures greater than 5º C before the end of April. It should be applied on its own. One application can be applied per crop and the latest time of application is the 1st May. SmartGrass has no LERAP, but care is needed to avoid drift onto adjacent crops. It is rainfast within 2 hours.

For further comment and information, please contact Barrie Hunt, Marketing Manager, Interfarm UK Ltd. on 01354 741414 or 07787 418098 (mobile) or via e-mail barrie.hunt@interfarm.co.uk

Important New Off-label Approvals for Flumioxazin now permits multiple low doses

noreply@blogger.com (Interfarm (UK) Ltd) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:48:00 +0000

The new SOLAs for the residual and contact-acting herbicide, flumioxazin, available as SumiMax, Digital and Guillotine, in vining peas, carrots, parsnips and bulb onions have been altered to permit multiple low doses. All other conditions of use remain unchanged, but the SOLA numbers have altered.

The new SOLA’s in vining peas, carrots, parsnips and bulb onions were applied for by the Horticultural Development Council (HDC), who subsequently asked CRD (was PSD) to change the limitation of one application per crop to multiple applications, providing the maximum total dose is not exceeded. This request has been granted and will result in more flexible options for growers looking to control various weeds in these crops. There are no other changes in the conditions of use such as timing or harvest intervals.

The SOLA for post-emergence use of flumioxazin in vining peas for the control of volunteer potatoes is now SOLA 1109, 1115 and 1113 of 2009. The SOLA for use of flumioxazin in carrots and parsnips post-emergence for the control of volunteer potatoes is now SOLA 1111, 1112 and 1117 of 2009. The SOLA for bulb onions post-emergence for control of volunteer potatoes and other weeds is now SOLA 1108, 1114 and 1116 of 2009. Growers need to obtain a copy of the notice of approval to use flumioxazin in these crops via the CRD web site or HDC.

SumiMax, Digital and Guillotine are white, non-staining, easy-to-use suspension concentrates containing 300 gms ai/litre of flumioxazin. They are used for the control of a wide range of broad-leaved weeds, including charlock, chickweed, cleavers, common poppy, field pansy, fumitory, groundsel, speedwells, mayweed, red deadnettle and Shepherd’s purse, and some grass-weeds.

As is the case for all SOLA’s granted by CRD (PSD), Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd as manufacturer of SumiMax, Digital and Guillotine, and Interfarm as UK distributor, decline any liability in case of crop damage or efficacy enquiries.