Act now to treat cleavers and increase profitability

UK - February 26, 2010



Controlling cleavers as early as possible could help to prevent losses of up to £200 a hectare from the UK’s most aggressive arable weed, according to Dow AgroSciences.

Cleavers top the competition charts for cereals, and are seven times more aggressive than blackgrass. Stuart Jackson says that timely intervention can make all the difference to results.  “Our research shows that traditional later control programmes reduce winter wheat yields by as much as 2.2 tonnes a hectare,” he says, “If people leave it until later in the season when the cleavers are emerging above the crop, the damage has already been done and yields have been affected.”

He recommends treating with Dow AgroSciences' Boxer (florasulam), which is ideally suited to early treatment when cold weather only permits weeds to grow slowly, and cleavers are prominent post-winter. “Farmers no longer have to wait for vigorous weed growth before treating. Early season applications before Growth Stage 32 consistently produce better yields and increased profitability,” says Stuart.

As well as cleavers, Boxer also controls other weeds including mayweeds, chickweed, volunteer oilseed rape, and other brassica weeds, and is compatible with a range of tank mixes.