Crystal^®, STILL the best start to black-grass control

Challenges for autumn 2020:

We know many growers will want to drill their winter cereals earlier this autumn as the harsh conditions and experiences of last autumn are still strong in the mind. If you are drilling winter cereals and you know you have black-grass present in your fields then our key advice remains the same.

• Harvest hygiene – Reduce the spread of grass seeds off the field.
• Stale seedbed and stubble management – depending on weather conditions and soil moisture, actively promote a black-grass chit to spray off or wait for moisture.
• Delay drilling – all the evidence points to delayed drilling having a massive contribution to reduced black-grass emergence. Wait as long as you can, particularly in your bad fields.
• Make sure seedbed conditions are suitable to get the best out of soil residual chemistry.
• Get your best material on pre-emergence – Apply Crystal^® as your best start to black-grass.

Crystal^® – The best start to black-grass control

Crystal^® has proved year after year that the combination of flufenacet and pendimethalin provides the best start to your black-grass control program

The graph shows combined trial data sets from each year and compares the performance of Crystal^® + DFF versus Liberator^® + Defy^® against black-grass when applied pre-emergence. These trials were conducted across a range of locations, soil types and weather conditions and highlight the consistent performance you can achieve when using Crystal^® as the start of your black-grass programme.

Flufenacet is renowned for its grassweed herbicide control, but it’s important not to underestimate the power of pendimethalin, and the benefits it brings to a robust herbicide programme. The residual compound not only contributes to the management of black-grass, but it also offers strong, long lasting broad-leaved weed control.

Cultural controls such as delayed drilling, spring cropping and rouging are all vital when it comes to reaching the 97% control needed to finally move the needle on black-grass. Effective pre-emergence herbicide application is still one of the most powerful tools in the box when utilised alongside cultural controls, so it’s important to use the best on the market. BASF has recorded data going back 13 years, in over 65 trials that shows that Crystal^® consistently outperforms Liberator^®.

If you have any queries or require further information, please contact your local BASF agronomy manager. Contact details can be found at www.agricentre.basf.co.uk. Alternatively, call our technical hotline: 0845 602 2553

Crystal contains flufenacet and pendimethalin. Picona contains picolinafen and pendimethalin. Stomp Aqua contains pendimethalin. Liberator contains flufenacet and diflufenican. Hurricane contains diflufenican. Defy contains prosulfocarb.

Crystal and Stomp are registered trademarks of BASF. All other products are those of other manufacturers where proprietary rights may exist.

Always read the label and product information before use.