UK strawberry growers would benefit from starting weed control now, according to Dr David Stormonth, technical manager at Interfarm UK Ltd.
Dr Stormonth said: “Autumn and winter create optimum conditions to apply residual herbicides to strawberries for the control of both annual and perennial weeds.
“Residuals such as Flomide and Propose 50W (based on propyzamide) can be applied at dose rates which result in excellent control of weeds - not just annual grasses such as black-grass, annual meadow-grass, bromes, black bindweed, chickweed, redshank, speedwells, shepherd’s purse, knotgrass, but also more difficult species such as cleavers, buttercup, docks and couch.
Dr Stormonth added that high numbers of weed seedlings have germinated on plantations in the last few weeks, but growers have been waiting for the conditions to come right for residuals.
He said: “Soils are certainly moist enough and have reached a suitably low temperature to achieve satisfactory weed control. Flomide and Propose should be applied within the next few weeks and before the end of the year.”
Propose 50W and Flomide can be used in established crops planted for at least one year on heavy soils, and are approved in strawberries from October 1 - December 31.
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