Tougher control for beet crop weeds on the way

Tougher control for beet crop weeds on the way

New Zealand farmers will have a powerful new addition to their weed control arsenal Bayer CropScience New Zealand has just been given registration for its new four-way herbicide, Betanal Quattro, which for the first time brings together all four of the main active ingredients in one single product for the control of broad-leaved weeds and annual grasses in fodder beet crops.

Bayer herbicides Betanal Forte and Nortron have been used extensively in New
Zealand beet crops for many years and Bayer Marketing Manager, Chris Miln, says
Betanal Quattro combines the active ingredients of these two products with the well-proven active ingredient, metamitron, to provide an easy to use, convenient tool for beet growers.

“Betanal Quattro provides knockdown contact and pre-emergent activity against
many broadleaf and grass weeds,” he says. “Previously farmers have had to mix
herbicides together to get effective contact and residual action control of most common weeds, but Betanal Quattro combines these into one convenient product.

It utilises Bayer’s SE (suspo-emulsion) formulation technology, and growers will find

that it’s tough on weeds, but not on crops.

“Its main application in New Zealand will be in fodder beet crops and beetroot crops,

and we think it’ll be more economic – and a whole lot more convenient and easier - than mixing products together.”

Mr Miln says one of the main outcomes from the trials has been the high tolerance of fodder beet to the product, and when used according to label directions, its good level of crop safety and efficacy.

Fodder beet crops have become much more widely grown in New Zealand in recent
years as a winterfeed for dairy cows because of its very high dry matter production.

But Mr Miln says early season weed control is critical to its success.

Bayer CropScience’s development team has conducted extensive trials on the new
product in the South Island and North Island over the last three years to carry out the research needed to achieve registration.

Betanal Quattro will be available on the New Zealand market in time for spring
sowing this year.

ends

© Scoop Media