Corteva claims treating grass with its new herbicide, ProGrass, means it can be harvested a week later, making it ideal for pre-first cut treatments or for between cut applications when time is limited.
According to the company, ProGrass is faster acting than most other available products and hits a much wider spectrum of undesirable weed species in established grassland.
As well as docks, these include buttercup, dandelion, common nettle, cow parsley and common hogweed. It will kill clover, so if this is important, farmers should switch to using ProClova XL, says Ryan Came-Johnson, field technical manager for Corteva. “ProGrass is rapidly translocated to the roots of the weeds ensuring long term control and allowing a seven-day cutting interval.
“After first cut, it takes around three weeks for docks to regrow to a suitable stage for spraying, leaving just two weeks out of the usual target of five weeks between cuts, for the chemical to be applied, and for it to translocate to the roots. ProGrass is ideal for this timescale.”
ProGrass comes as a concentrated formulation with a dose rate of 1.5 litres/hectare (l/ha) compared to at least 2 l/ha for most other dock control products.
“For the best results, docks must be free from disease or insect damage and not suffering from frost, drought, waterlogging or nutrient deficiency,” adds Ryan. “They should be actively growing, have fresh, green leaves and be almost dinner-plate sized. This will ensure the best results from spraying with ProGrass.”
