Home News & Events Crystal®, 20 years and still the best start controlling black grass

Crystal®, 20 years and still the best start controlling black-grass

Challenges for autumn 2021:

We know that following last season many growers will want to drill their winter cereals earlier this autumn as the harsh conditions and experiences of last autumn are still clear in the memory. 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 control.

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 above 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.

The graph below shows that Crystal® remains the best start to black-grass control compared to an aclonifen based pre-em. Trials from last season show the power of combining pendimethalin with flufenacet and diflufenican.

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.

The graph below is the result of a container study, carried out in conjunction with Rothamsted Research. Five different black-grass populations were tested with straight flufenacet and Crystal®. Here the value that pendimethalin was bringing to help give higher efficacy against difficult to control black-grass populations is shown.

Where the blue bar is higher, it highlights the benefit of adding pendimethalin to flufenacet as in Crystal®. As the study was conducted in containers outdoors, lower than normal field dose was used in the experiment.
Where the blue bar is higher, it highlights the benefit of adding pendimethalin to flufenacet as in Crystal®. As the study was conducted in containers outdoors, lower than normal field dose was used in the experiment.

Cultural controls such as delayed drilling, spring cropping and rogueing are all vital when it comes to reaching the 97% control needed to finally move the needle in a positive direction on black-grass. Effective pre-emergence herbicide application is still one of the most powerful tools in the toolbox when utilised alongside cultural controls, so it’s important to use the best on the market.

The four boxes on the left above show solo aclonifen control against black-grass at four different application timings. The four boxes on the right show solo pendimethalin at the same application timings. It is clear that pendimethalin is contributing more to black-grass control than aclonifen.
The four boxes on the left above show solo aclonifen control against black-grass at four different application timings. The four boxes on the right show solo pendimethalin at the same application timings. It is clear that pendimethalin is contributing more to black-grass control than aclonifen.

Crystal® + DFF = 3 modes of action for grassweed control

Flufenacet + Pendimethalin + Diflufenican = 3 modes of action, each working at a different target in the plant and when used as Crystal® + DFF a proven and reliable performer in controlling black-grass.

The graph shows the uplift in black-grass control when pendimethalin and diflufenican are added to flufenacet. Forty-seven results across three years to show on average over 16 percentage points uplift in control.
The graph shows the uplift in black-grass control when pendimethalin and diflufenican are added to flufenacet. Forty-seven results across three years to show on average over 16 percentage points uplift in control.