As the potato season edges closer, growers will be pondering herbicide programmes and asking which strategy is likely to deliver the greatest bang for their buck.
Ken Fletcher, Editor of The Scottish Farmer writes that the first decision confronting growers will be whether to use metribuzin, or not? With it, weed control is almost always easier and less expensive, but the long list of varieties sensitive to this substance means many growers have to consider the alternatives.
“Metribuzin tolerance, or lack of, is often the first consideration when formulating a weed control programme. Without it, control is still achievable, but is often more complex and, potentially, costly, so care needs to be given to what products are used if unnecessary expense or false economies are to be avoided,” said Eric Anderson, senior agronomist at Scottish Agronomy.
“The central issue is one of weed spectrum to be controlled. Failure to understand the weeds present in the field will result in higher costs in the long-term,” said Mr Anderson.
Source: The Scottish Farmer. Read the full article here
Photo: Eric Anderson of Scottish Agronomy | The Scottish Farmer
