This report describes 2023 data from FAR’s ongoing herbicide screening trial at Chertsey, mid-Canterbury, where the efficacy and crop safety of a number of new and old herbicides were tested against several problematic weed species and in a number of common crops. This is the third consecutive year that FAR has run this trial, after a nine-year break.
Key points:
- Herbicide resistance means that testing the efficacy of commercial and close-to-market grass weed herbicides belonging to a range of modes of action is important.
- A 2023 herbicide screening trial identified the relative efficacy of different herbicides, at different rates, on a range of grass and crop species, using a log sprayer.
- Four coded products were included in the trial, which were either not available in New Zealand or not registered for use in arable crops. Some of these showed promise as grass weed control measures, especially in situations where herbicide resistance may be an issue.
- Using the most effective herbicide rate possible within the crop grown reduces the risk of herbicide resistance emerging to an active ingredient.