Crop protection specialists Interfarm have urged growers to inspect their crops carefully and apply herbicides as winter bites.

They advise that, as winter is the ideal time to apply soil-acting residual herbicides to top fruit, soft fruit, forestry and woody ornamentals, growers should inspect these crops and plantations, plan herbicide treatments and use propyzamide this month.

Dr. David Stormonth, technical manager of Interfarm UK, said: “The new label for the flowable formulation, Flomide, now has more crops on it than previously and its recommended crops include apples, blackcurrants, blackberries, gooseberries, pears, plums, raspberries, redcurrants and rhubarb. The WP formulation Engage also has the same wide ranging list of approved crops on its label.

“These two propyzamide herbicides can be used up to the end of January on crops that have been planted for at least one season and have flexible dose rates for annual and perennial weed control.

“They work particularly well in winter conditions and it would be a pity to waste the January opportunity when [growers] could be delivering season-long and effective weed control. Once spring growth starts, weed control in many of these crops becomes much more difficult,” he said.

Propyzamide is available from Interfarm as Engage (50 per cent wettable powder) and Flomide (400g/L suspension concentrate). They are both recommended for the control of cereal volunteers, annual meadow-grass, black-grass, brome, wild-oats, chickweed, bindweed, fat hen, redshank, small nettle, speedwells and black nightshade.