Farmers are blue in the face from hearing about the importance of a suitable post-emergence spray to kill weeds, particularly seedling docks in newly sown grass swards. Failure to spray usually leads to a re-emergence of the weeds that were often a trigger to reseed in the first place.
The active chemical 2,4-DB was used where clover was sown in the sward as this killed the weeds but protected the clover – a win-win. Some of the well-known brand names which contain 2,4-DB are Underclear, Legumex DB, Clovermax, Undersown and Headland Spruce.
However, this active chemical is now being removed from the EU market as it failed to get re-registered for use in the 2019 review.
Farmers have until the end of October 2020 to purchase sprays containing this ingredient and have until the end of October 2021 to use them up. This has led to some farmers buying their spray requirements for next year, while these products are still available to purchase.
The removal of this active ingredient is also a big blow to the movement to establish clover on commercial farms
However, Hilton Dagge from chemical company Nufarm says that supplies of existing 2,4 DB products are extremely tight and while there are still stocks in some retailers, where products have been sold out they won’t be replaced. He says 2,4-DB is a major loss and a real pity as there is no real alternative on the horizon.
The removal of this active ingredient is also a big blow to the movement to establish clover on commercial farms. As outlined this week, clover is seen by many as a way of reducing the carbon footprint on Irish farms as nitrogen fixed by clover does not release nitrous oxide.
Following on from the EU decision to de-list 2,4-DB, Irish farmers have two choices: they either don’t spray for weeds where clover is sown or they spray for weeds at an early stage and then oversow clover at a later stage.
This is the method used to establish clover in new reseeds by researchers at Teagasc
The latter is definitely the better option but neither solution is as effective as the status quo, where 2,4-DB offers a reasonably good kill of seedling docks while protecting clover.
This is the method used to establish clover in new reseeds by researchers at Teagasc. This is the same research that is quoted by Department of Agriculture and Teagasc officials when they point out the advantages of clover to the environment and animal performance.
New actives
However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Corteva, the agro-chemical multinational formerly known as DuPont, is expected to have a new clover-safe product approved on the Irish market.
The new product is currently in the process of getting approval.
Chris Maughan from Whelehan Crop Protection tells the Irish Farmers Journal he expects to have the product available to farmers by 2022.
The new active, called Rinskor, has already received emergency approval in some EU countries and is mostly used as a herbicide for rice crops.
However, the big drawback with Triad is that it is not effective against docks
According to Chris, another chemical called Triad, which is in tablet form, is also coming back into production after being absent for a number of years. This was mostly used as a herbicide for cereals but is approved for use on new leys and it is clover-safe.
However, the big drawback with Triad is that it is not effective against docks, so really it is not much use for most farmers who are looking for dock control.
Grass leys
David Leahy from BASF says that the company has no new clover-safe products for new grass leys in the pipeline. He is recommending that his customers sow the new grass, spray with an approved broad-spectrum herbicide and then stitch in the clover seed at a later date.
Clover-safe sprays containing 2,4-DB will no longer be available for purchase after 31 October 2020Products containing 2,4-DB such as Underclear, Legumex DB, Clovermax and Undersown can be used up to 31 October 2021.A new clover-safe herbicide is being developed by Corteva and should be available by 2022.If no clover-safe herbicide is available, farmers will have to use non-clover-safe sprays and then oversow at a later date with clover. Read more
Major clover-safe grassland spray set to go
Rethink needed when reseeding grass-clover leys
Farmers are blue in the face from hearing about the importance of a suitable post-emergence spray to kill weeds, particularly seedling docks in newly sown grass swards. Failure to spray usually leads to a re-emergence of the weeds that were often a trigger to reseed in the first place.
The active chemical 2,4-DB was used where clover was sown in the sward as this killed the weeds but protected the clover – a win-win. Some of the well-known brand names which contain 2,4-DB are Underclear, Legumex DB, Clovermax, Undersown and Headland Spruce.
However, this active chemical is now being removed from the EU market as it failed to get re-registered for use in the 2019 review.
Farmers have until the end of October 2020 to purchase sprays containing this ingredient and have until the end of October 2021 to use them up. This has led to some farmers buying their spray requirements for next year, while these products are still available to purchase.
The removal of this active ingredient is also a big blow to the movement to establish clover on commercial farms
However, Hilton Dagge from chemical company Nufarm says that supplies of existing 2,4 DB products are extremely tight and while there are still stocks in some retailers, where products have been sold out they won’t be replaced. He says 2,4-DB is a major loss and a real pity as there is no real alternative on the horizon.
The removal of this active ingredient is also a big blow to the movement to establish clover on commercial farms. As outlined this week, clover is seen by many as a way of reducing the carbon footprint on Irish farms as nitrogen fixed by clover does not release nitrous oxide.
Following on from the EU decision to de-list 2,4-DB, Irish farmers have two choices: they either don’t spray for weeds where clover is sown or they spray for weeds at an early stage and then oversow clover at a later stage.
This is the method used to establish clover in new reseeds by researchers at Teagasc
The latter is definitely the better option but neither solution is as effective as the status quo, where 2,4-DB offers a reasonably good kill of seedling docks while protecting clover.
This is the method used to establish clover in new reseeds by researchers at Teagasc. This is the same research that is quoted by Department of Agriculture and Teagasc officials when they point out the advantages of clover to the environment and animal performance.
New actives
However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Corteva, the agro-chemical multinational formerly known as DuPont, is expected to have a new clover-safe product approved on the Irish market.
The new product is currently in the process of getting approval.
Chris Maughan from Whelehan Crop Protection tells the Irish Farmers Journal he expects to have the product available to farmers by 2022.
The new active, called Rinskor, has already received emergency approval in some EU countries and is mostly used as a herbicide for rice crops.
However, the big drawback with Triad is that it is not effective against docks
According to Chris, another chemical called Triad, which is in tablet form, is also coming back into production after being absent for a number of years. This was mostly used as a herbicide for cereals but is approved for use on new leys and it is clover-safe.
However, the big drawback with Triad is that it is not effective against docks, so really it is not much use for most farmers who are looking for dock control.
Grass leys
David Leahy from BASF says that the company has no new clover-safe products for new grass leys in the pipeline. He is recommending that his customers sow the new grass, spray with an approved broad-spectrum herbicide and then stitch in the clover seed at a later date.
Clover-safe sprays containing 2,4-DB will no longer be available for purchase after 31 October 2020Products containing 2,4-DB such as Underclear, Legumex DB, Clovermax and Undersown can be used up to 31 October 2021.A new clover-safe herbicide is being developed by Corteva and should be available by 2022.If no clover-safe herbicide is available, farmers will have to use non-clover-safe sprays and then oversow at a later date with clover. Read more
Major clover-safe grassland spray set to go
Rethink needed when reseeding grass-clover leys
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