As University of Saskatchewan research has documented, cleavers tend to emerge just as soon as you plant your canola. In the early-season race between canola and cleavers, it’s no contest. Cleavers surge ahead and, left uncontrolled, will proliferate and harm your crop.
While your young canola crop is still getting established, cleavers are growing so large that no in-crop herbicide can adequately control them. This is particularly true when the in-crop application window is limited to the two-whorl or four-whorl cleaver stage. Get cleavers early, very early, or it’s going to be a long growing season.
Fall-applied herbicide can be effective against the following spring’s cleavers – that’s if you can actually get it on the ground. Bad weather and late harvests can get in the way.
A successful cleaver control program looks like this. Start with a pre-seed application of Command® Charge herbicide. This keeps early-season cleavers from running riot and out-competing your canola. By following up with a standard in-crop herbicide treatment, you should see a consistent 85% to 90% degree of cleaver control. Considering the weed and what it can do, you’ll be happy with that.
Command® Charge herbicide from FMC Canada is a powerful, soil-applied herbicide that delivers Group 13 and 14 action to take cleavers out early, while effectively managing resistance. Command® Charge herbicide offers an extensive broadleaf burnoff label – with extended activity on cleavers and chickweed -- in all herbicide-tolerant canola systems.