When it comes to effectively controlling weeds in canola, it’s critical to get them when they are small, easier to control and before they compete with the crop for moisture, sunlight and nutrients. Removing weeds early in the season also helps prevent the production of weed seed to keep them from spreading.
Take cleavers, for instance. According to estimates from Manitoba’s Ministry of Agriculture, just 100 cleaver plants per square metre can reduce canola yields by as much as 20 per cent.
Experts from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada say that even one single cleaver plant in the pre-emergence period does the damage of 100 cleaver plants in your canola just three weeks later.
Yield isn’t the only thing affected by cleavers. If cleavers survive past the pre-emergence stage, they can grow too big for your in-crop herbicide to handle. One thing you don’t want to deal with is harvesting cleaver-choked canola.
Apply a complete solution herbicide
Targeting those tough-to-control weeds like cleavers and chickweed is why many growers are choosing to apply a complete solution herbicide prior to seeding. A complete solution herbicide brings both burnoff and extended weed control – making it the perfect choice to launch a weed-free spring.
Mix it up
Command® Charge herbicide features a mix of Group 13 and Group 14 active ingredients. Both active ingredients control cleavers and that is important because there is a widespread presence of cleavers resistant to Group 2 and an increase in Group 4 resistant biotypes.
When activated by a minimum of 5 – 10 mm (1/4 inch) of moisture at once, the Group 13 portion creates a barrier on the soil surface that provides activity on emerging cleavers and chickweed. In fact, it provides up to four weeks of extended control of flushing cleavers.
When tank-mixed with glyphosate, the Group 14 portion of Command® Charge herbicide provides a second effective mode of action on the same target weeds during burnoff.
Pairing Group 13 and 14 with Group 9 glyphosate puts three modes of action in the tank, which increases weed control efficacy today and helps ensure sustainability of glyphosate use tomorrow.