Concerns have been raised about the loss of active ingredients for use in peas and beans this week as growers look for alternative approaches to weed control.

Andrew Lensen, Farm manager for Velcourt, has pointed to the loss of a range of pulse herbicides in the last few years and is worried that with the impending European Union review of pesticides the trend could continue to adversely affect pulse growers.

“We used to use Opogardin our pulse crops, but when this went along with quite a few other herbicides containing the active ingredients including cyanazine, fomesafen, simazine, terbutryn and now trifluralin, we have been relying on the pre-emergence herbicide Nirvana for weed control in spring beans and vining peas,” said Lensen.

Lensen manages 600 hectares of land for J. Goodley and Sons, contract farms a further 1700 hectares in five units and provides agronomy for all the land under his remit. He grows 200 hectares of spring beans mainly for human consumption for Askew & Barrett and 110 hectares of vining peas for Premier Foods.

“At Velcourt we aim to provide the highest level of farm management expertise and to focus on farming profitably. We also want to provide excellent technical advice and are continually assessing options to provide the best solutions for our farmer clients.

“With the lack of choice we had for beans and peas, it was opportune that Nirvana came along. Based on two residual herbicides imazamox and pendimethalin, it has become our mainstay treatment for both vining peas and spring field beans.”

According to Lenson, the one shot solution to weed control, Nirvana, covers all the key weed problems including volunteer rape and polygonums and has some useful effect on suppressing black-grass.

He points out that being, Nirvana, will come into its own as it minimises the amount of times required to travel through the crop.

“This season will undoubtedly be contracted and we will be very busy with cereal spraying, sugar beet drilling and other activities around the farm. Just one application will optimize our workload, which will be essential this spring,” he said.

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