How to control early-emerging weeds, including volunteer plants from technological sunflower and rapeseed in cereal crops already in the autumn

Derby® Super One – the proven broadleaf herbicide in practice in terms of biological and economic effect

Sunflower cultivation ranks second in Bulgaria in terms of arable land, with an area of 7.2 million decares, and technological sunflower accounts for 95% of these areas. In oilseed rape, which occupies an area of 1.4 million decares, 50% is cultivated using such technology. Under the current shortened crop rotation, cereals are massively sown in the autumn after sunflower or technological oilseed rape as a preceding crop, which creates a problem with volunteers.

The control of volunteers from technological sunflower and oilseed rape in future wheat and barley stands begins already with the harvesting of the preceding crop, and it is advisable to avoid losses during harvest. Thus, the problem with volunteers will be significantly reduced.

In a warm autumn and under normal soil moisture conditions, weeds in wheat and barley emerge rapidly and enter into competition with the crop in the field. It has been proven that in autumn wheat forms 30% of its yield potential. Therefore, it is very important that the crop be freed from weeds during this period.

As a herbicide proven in practice, Derby® Super One, with a second trade name Lancelot™, is the excellent choice for autumn weed control, including the hard-to-control volunteers from technological oilseed rape and sunflower, and at a perfect price. In 2020, more than 2 million decares of wheat and barley were treated with it, which represents every fifth decare of cereal crops.

Derby® Super One contains two active substances – aminopyralid potassium and florasulam. Thanks to the synergistic herbicidal action of the active substances, Derby® can be applied at rates from 2.5 g/decare to 3.3 g/decare, depending on the presence of weeds and their growth stage. We recommend the higher rate specifically against technological volunteers of sunflower and oilseed rape, as well as winter–spring and some ephemeral weeds that emerge and compete with the crop already in the autumn. Derby® Super One can be applied after the 3rd leaf stage of the crop. The growth of weeds stops within hours after treatment. The first visual symptoms (discoloured and crinkled leaves) are observed after 3–4 days. Full control takes from 1 to 2 weeks after treatment, depending on the weed species and climatic conditions, and during this time the weeds are not competitive to the crop. The herbicide is effective even at 5°C.

It is rainfast within one hour after treatment.

For excellent efficacy against grass and broadleaf weeds, Derby can be combined with Palas® 75 WG at a rate of 2.5 g/decare

Be the winner in the derby match against weeds in the autumn with Derby® Super One!