Crop protection supplier Certis is warning growers that herbicide Dacthal faces revocation.

The residual herbicide Dacthal W75 (chlorthal-dimethyl) is used for pre-emergence weed control, and is set to be revoked on March 23, 2010 following its non-inclusion in Annex I of the European Council directive 91/414/EEC. It is used on brassicas, leeks, onions, soft fruit, runner beans, sage and ornamentals.

Alan Horgan, Certis’s technical officer, is advising that growers are, however, able to continue using up stocks for a further year, until March 2011.

He said: “Dacthal is an effective residual herbicide that provides a robust foundation to weed control programmes with action against a broad spectrum of grass and broadleaved weeds including chickweed, fat hen, knot grass, small nettles and speedwell. It can be used across a range of crops, making it a flexible option for weed control in a number of situations.”

Dacthal W75 has also been granted a specific off-label approval (SOLA) for use on salad onions - replacing the role of Decimate (chlorthal-dimethyl and propachlor) following its revocation earlier this year. The SOLA notice for Dacthal gives salad onion growers 12 months of use up until the final revocation date the following year, in March 2011.