Adama has launched a new and unique contact herbicide for use as an early season post-emergence treatment against a range of key weed threats in oilseed rape.
Parish contains 320g/l phenmedipham and can be applied to OSR when the crop has two true leaves and before nine leaves are unfolded. It should be applied to weeds from cotyledon to two true leaves and can be applied at maximum total and individual doses of 1.1 l/ha, with a seven day interval between applications.
“Phenmedipham has a proven and reliable track record in sugar beet and has been developed by Adama for use in oilseed rape to provide an effective, non-metazachlor option for controlling key weeds including Common Chickweed, Red Deadnettle, Mayweed, Groundsel, Small Nettle, Common Field Speedwell and Field Pansy,” explains David Roberts, Herbicide Technical Specialist for Adama.
Parish is unaffected by soil type, is not an ALS-inhibitor herbicide and, crucially, does not limit following crop options in the event of OSR failure.
“There has been a significant decline in the use of pre-emergence herbicides in OSR in recent years,” David continues. “This has largely been due to increased grower reticence towards spending on crops which may not survive. Subsequent cropping restrictions and the efficacy of later season herbicide options have also fueled the move away from early season treatments.
“Parish redresses this balance by providing an effective solution to hit vigorous young weeds when they are small and susceptible without any potential knock-on risk for following crops. Parish therefore fills the gap between the August/September drilling window and the application of post-emergence treatments in November.”
Trials have shown that Parish outperforms other Chickweed and Groundsel herbicides and, at the full recommended rate, offers comparable and more cost-effective control compared to the current dimethanamid-P plus metazachlor-based market leader.
Parish has the added advantage of being a non-metazachlor option. “With metazachlor firmly on the radar of regulatory and environmental authorities due to its prevalence as one of the main pollutants of ‘at risk’ drinking water supplies, anything growers can do to limit this vital active ingredient’s entry into water will be advantageous in terms of ensuring its long-term commercial viability. Parish provides the ideal solution by giving growers the option to remove metazachlor from their OSR programme and replacing it with a cost-effective alternative.”
