Maximising maize weed control with easy uptake pendimethalin

Our attention therefore turns to how to combat weed competition at the critical crop establishment phase, with pre and post-emergence treatments giving growers two chances to provide effective control at the time when the young crop is at its most susceptible to weed competition.

One of the key considerations when looking to maximise the efficacy of residual/pre-emergence herbicides is to ensure there is adequate soil moisture for the active ingredient to be taken up by target plants: as the potential for a soil moisture deficit increases in the spring, some active ingredients will become less effective at controlling weeds germinating from depth. This is generally less of a problem for maize growers, as maize is typically grown in the wetter parts of the country, but it’s still worthy of consideration.

One way to give herbicides a better chance of providing good weed control in dry conditions is to use a product with an SC (suspension concentrate) formulation.

For growers currently using pendimethalin, and those who want to introduce a non-ALS inhibiting mode of action – to target annual meadowgrass, broad-leaved weeds such as poppy, or where ALS resistance has been confirmed – ANTHEM (400 g/L pendimethalin in an SC formulation) offers a distinct advantage over rival CS (capsule suspension) formulations thanks to better consistency of uptake in typical spring conditions (see graphs below).

ANTHEM (400 g/L pendimethalin) offers four key benefits:

• SC formulation enhances uptake in dry conditions
• Non-ALS mode of action
• Easy to pour, rinse and clean
• Broad spectrum weed control (inc. ALS-resistant species)