Article taken from the Agronomist & Arable Farmer, written by Chris Lyddon
One of the interesting but important spin-offs of the Clearfield system, according to Agrovista agronomist Luke Hardy, is that it allows oilseed rape to be grown in fields where it couldn’t be grown before.
By taking out encroaching, competitive weeds such as charlock, growers have the freedom to stick to their planned rotation, Luke says. He has experienced just this issue on a farm on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire borders near Uttoxeter, farmed by Philip Atkins. Luke explains that Mr Atkins owns a 20-hectare block of river land which was chock-a-block with charlock, particularly in an area near to a river.
“The last time this field grew rape, which was three years ago, the crop was choked out by charlock and in some areas was lost completely through weed competition. We used Fox (bifenox) at full rate, but it wasn’t good enough in such high weed pressure, so BASF agronomist Robin Rose advised us to tryout the Clearfield variety DK Imiron CL on the most difficult part of the field. This is the first time I and Mr Atkins have tried the Clearfield system.”
“Normally our rape herbicide programme is quite robust starting with a pre-em of metazachlor, quinmerac and dimethenamid-p. This time I advised a pre-emergence application of clomazone for cleavers and then a post-emergence application of Cleranda (imazamoz + metazachlor). By the time the Cleranda was applied, the charlock was six to eight leaves, starting to extend and to close over the crop. In m view, the results were phenomenal. I have never seen anything like it! The Clearanda annihilated the charlock as well as the volunteer rape from previous crops, wild-oats, brome and even severely checked the black-grass. It just wiped out everything – apart from the Clearfield rape itself.”
Luke comments that Clearfield varieties are considered by some to yield less than other standard rape varieties. “But if you didn’t use a Clearfield system in these difficult circumstances, you wouldn’t have a crop to speak of!”
“I have no worries about dealing with Clearfield rape volunteers, but we do need to think carefully about managing them in subsequent fields. I am confident that we have the chemistry to deal with this potential problem. We have no potatoes or root crops in the rotation that could complicate this issue. We may have to plough to bury any seed though,” he says.
Luke Hardy thinks that the Clearfield system allows rape to be grown on land not normally suitable for rape growing. “Currently in a missed strip in this problem field the charlock is up to my waist and these is very little crop to speak of. No graminicides was applied either, so the Clearfield was not only blowing all broad-leaved weeds out of the ground, but it was also having a positive effect on volunteers and grasses.”
Pleasing results
Farmer Philip Atkins was pleased with results too. “We have had a problem with two main weeds, charlock and redshank, in this river land and these weeds significantly depressed rape yields to 1 tonne/acre, or even less. The contact herbicide Fox worked to a degree but all the conditions have to be absolutely right. We were looking for something else, so decided to have a go with Clearfield. It costs about the same and we thought we could deal with the volunteers afterwards. The Clearfield variety DK Imiron CL was drilled in August following wheat and established well. The Cleranda was applied using a sprayer with GPS, and it worked. Weed control was excellent. I am now looking forward to harvest!”
Philip explains that they have had a simple rotation of rape, wheat and wheat. “With the new three crop rule, we will be introducing spring barley or beans. The use of Clearfield allows us to have the flexibility to plan the right rotations without being hampered by difficult weeds.”
One of the interesting but important spin-offs of the Clearfield system, according to Agrovista agronomist Luke Hardy, is that it allows oilseed rape to be grown in fields where it couldn’t be grown before.
By taking out encroaching, competitive weeds such as charlock, growers have the freedom to stick to their planned rotation, Luke says. He has experienced just this issue on a farm on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire borders near Uttoxeter, farmed by Philip Atkins. Luke explains that Mr Atkins owns a 20-hectare block of river land which was chock-a-block with charlock, particularly in an area near to a river.
“The last time this field grew rape, which was three years ago, the crop was choked out by charlock and in some areas was lost completely through weed competition. We used Fox (bifenox) at full rate, but it wasn’t good enough in such high weed pressure, so BASF agronomist Robin Rose advised us to tryout the Clearfield variety DK Imiron CL on the most difficult part of the field. This is the first time I and Mr Atkins have tried the Clearfield system.”
“Normally our rape herbicide programme is quite robust starting with a pre-em of metazachlor, quinmerac and dimethenamid-p. This time I advised a pre-emergence application of clomazone for cleavers and then a post-emergence application of Cleranda (imazamoz + metazachlor). By the time the Cleranda was applied, the charlock was six to eight leaves, starting to extend and to close over the crop. In m view, the results were phenomenal. I have never seen anything like it! The Clearanda annihilated the charlock as well as the volunteer rape from previous crops, wild-oats, brome and even severely checked the black-grass. It just wiped out everything – apart from the Clearfield rape itself.”
Luke comments that Clearfield varieties are considered by some to yield less than other standard rape varieties. “But if you didn’t use a Clearfield system in these difficult circumstances, you wouldn’t have a crop to speak of!”
“I have no worries about dealing with Clearfield rape volunteers, but we do need to think carefully about managing them in subsequent fields. I am confident that we have the chemistry to deal with this potential problem. We have no potatoes or root crops in the rotation that could complicate this issue. We may have to plough to bury any seed though,” he says.
Luke Hardy thinks that the Clearfield system allows rape to be grown on land not normally suitable for rape growing. “Currently in a missed strip in this problem field the charlock is up to my waist and these is very little crop to speak of. No graminicides was applied either, so the Clearfield was not only blowing all broad-leaved weeds out of the ground, but it was also having a positive effect on volunteers and grasses.”
Pleasing results
Farmer Philip Atkins was pleased with results too. “We have had a problem with two main weeds, charlock and redshank, in this river land and these weeds significantly depressed rape yields to 1 tonne/acre, or even less. The contact herbicide Fox worked to a degree but all the conditions have to be absolutely right. We were looking for something else, so decided to have a go with Clearfield. It costs about the same and we thought we could deal with the volunteers afterwards. The Clearfield variety DK Imiron CL was drilled in August following wheat and established well. The Cleranda was applied using a sprayer with GPS, and it worked. Weed control was excellent. I am now looking forward to harvest!”
Philip explains that they have had a simple rotation of rape, wheat and wheat. “With the new three crop rule, we will be introducing spring barley or beans. The use of Clearfield allows us to have the flexibility to plan the right rotations without being hampered by difficult weeds.”