Spring 2012NUFARM RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING MAGAZINE

Overcoming resistance

Spraywise Decisions technical upgrade P3

“I’ll have what he’s having” P6

CottonMap reducing drift P10

Using Roundup Ready canola as part of a weed management strategy P14

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03 Smart functionality improvements to Spraywise Decisions

04 Fighting fleabane in WA

06 “I’ll have what he’s having” – Roundup Attack with iQ inside

07 Nuseed celebrates Monola oil partnership with KFC

08 A trifecta of chemical fallow options

09 Pasture registration for additional flexibility

10 Perfect planning with CottonMap to prevent spray drift

11 A sharper knockdown at low use rates

12 Resist: industry initiative to combat glyphosate resistance

13 Cereal fungicides to suit all needs

14 Another arrow for the grower bow

Contents

Spraywise Decisions is an online weather service provided by Nufarm that helps growers and pesticide applicators better plan and match the

timing of chemical applications with local weather conditions.

Spraywise Decisions program manager, Gerard Bardell said in the last 12 months there had been a 10 fold increase in subscribers visiting the website via a mobile smart device.

“From these statistics, we’re seeing the importance of growers and applicators having instant access to spray information in the field to ensure they have accurate information before and during application,” he said.

Gerard said as well as the improved navigation that comes with a mobile enhanced site, other improvements had been made to improve the accuracy of weather predictions.

“Growers and applicators can now choose their current location based on the device’s GPS capability to further refine local weather conditions.

“There is also the option of choosing different spray qualities which helps improve the accuracy of application windows as well as adding in the sunrise and sunset times,” he said.

“These are really exciting improvements that will not only greatly improve the ease of use of the site when using a mobile device, but also ensure that grower and pesticide applicators have access to the most accurate information when spray planning.”

Users can access the mobile site by visiting Spraywise Decisions at www.spraywisedecisions.com.au from a mobile device. Android devices users can bookmark the page for future use while Apple iPhone® and iPad® users can download the Spraywise Decisions icon to their home screens.

Technical upgrades to the Spraywise Decisions® website means growers and pesticide applicators can now visit a mobile enhanced version of the service.

New and lapsed users also have the opportunity to access a 14 day free trial to enjoy all the features of Spraywise Decisions. Top Croppers® members can also purchase a 12 month Spraywise Decisions subscription by redeeming their Top Croppers points at www.topcroppers.com.au.

www.spraywisedecisions.com.au

Spraywise Decisions program manager, Gerard Bardell. Growers and spray contractors can now access Spraywise Decisions via mobile smart devices.

Smart functionality improvements to Spraywise Decisions

“Growers and applicators can now choose their current location based on the device’s GPS capability to further refine local weather conditions.”

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Spraying

A growing problem: fighting fleabane in WAA trial comparing herbicides to combat fleabane in Western Australia has shown strong results for Roundup® AttackTM with iQ insideTM and Amicide® Advance 700.

Fleabane is on the increase in WA and according to Nufarm Great Southern and South West sales manager, James Bee, it’s something growers need to

keep a close eye on.

“I don’t think it was something anyone identified as being a major weed, even three or four years ago,” James said.

“But given the right conditions, it’s something we’re going to be facing right along the south coast of WA going forward.”

James said it was much easier to control when the plants were small, but once they grew larger, it was likely a two-spray strategy would be needed to control the summer weed.

From little things, big things growFor Peter and Evelyn Brown, their fleabane problem had reached such a level that it required some team work.

The Browns have a 1,417 hectare property at Tambellup in WA’s south, of which 650ha are cropped to barley and wheat.

They also run sheep, which according to Peter has largely helped their weed control.

But a paddock infested with fleabane had become an increasingly big issue over the past three years and Peter needed to hit it hard.

“The plants were that thick it actually looked like we’d sown them,” Peter said.

“It’s alright in pasture, spray topping will get rid of it, but in crop it’s a big problem.

“Anyone who is continuously cropping and gets it is going to be in big trouble.”

With the help of James Bee and QFH Multiparts merchandise manager Shane O’Neill, Peter set about tackling the fleabane.

After the area received its highest December rainfall on record, making the paddock impossible to enter, a late salvage spray post-harvest with Agrotop Airmix® 110025

Fleabane on the left treated with 1.5L/ha of 450g/L of glyphosate, 500mL/ha Estercide Xtra 680, 0.25% LI700, 5g/ha Ally and on the right, sprayed with a mix of 1.18L/ha Roundup Attack with iQ inside, 700mL/ha Amicide Advance 700, 5g/ha Ally.

60% control was achieved with the 1.5L/ha of 450 g/L of glyphosate, 500mL/ha Estercide Xtra 680, 0.25% Li700, 5g/ha Ally.

“I would use Roundup Attack with iQ inside and Amicide Advance 700 again. They seemed to work the best and I would recommend them.”

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Fleabane

nozzles at 70L water per hectare was applied from January 1 2012.

Two tank mix brews were compared, starting with 1.5L/ha of a 450g/L glyphosate combined with 0.5L/ha Estercide® Xtra 680, 5g/ha of Ally® and 0.25 per cent of surfactant LI700®.

The second brew consisted of 1.18L/ha of Roundup Attack with iQ inside with 0.7L/ha Amicide Advance 700 and 5g/ha of Ally.

A boomspray width of paraquat (1.5L/ha) was applied 14 days after the initial treatment.

Both brews were applied under excellent spraying conditions, although the fleabane was large having germinated before harvest.

Back in control

As mature fleabane is virtually impossible to control with a single herbicide treatment, hitting it with the Roundup Attack with iQ inside and Amicide Advance 700 brew offered the best control option.

The results were significant, with the Roundup Attack with iQ inside and Amicide Advance 700 achieving 80 per cent control, compared to 60 per cent with the glyphosate and Estercide Xtra 680 mix.

“I would use Roundup Attack with iQ inside and Amicide Advance 700 again. They seemed to work the best and I would recommend them,” Peter said.

James said the results of the trial reinforced his belief in the two products, as there was a clear difference with the two brews tested.

“You could definitely see the difference,” James said.

“I’d like to thank Peter for allowing us to do the demonstration on his paddock and Shane for his valuable assistance.

“The results show with the right product selection, you can achieve a much better result.

“You’re improving weed control for basically the same dollars.”

Shane was also impressed with the performance of Roundup Attack with iQ inside and Amicide Advance 700 and said he would be recommending the mix to other growers battling fleabane.

“I thought Estercide Xtra 680 was a faster mover, but Amicide Advance 700 really surprised me,” Shane said.

“Fleabane is a weed we’re seeing more and more of in this area, so it’s good for farmers to have another option to control it — particularly if the plants are more mature and harder to kill, as they were in Peter’s case.”

80% control was achieved with a mix of 1.18Lha Roundup Attack with iQ inside, 700mL/ha Amicide Advance 700, 5g/ha Ally.

Spike option for fleabaneFor fast control of fleabane, growers could also consider using Sharpen®, a new herbicide from Nufarm.

Sharpen delivers excellent control on fleabane as well as a large variety of other broadleaf weeds. It is also compatible with Roundup Attack with iQ inside to deliver broad spectrum weed control during fallow and prior to summer or winter crop planting.

Turn to page 11 for more information on Sharpen.

Fleabane

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Denman farmer John Sowter is used to people checking out what’s going on his paddocks.

With 121 hectares in the upper Hunter Valley in NSW, John grows a variety of crops, including triticale, lucerne and oats.

The position of his property gives all the locals a good visual on what he’s up to and it’s not unusual for him to get a tongue-in-cheek comment about him missing a patch after mowing.

But this year John’s property generated a lot more interest than usual.

After receiving a large amount of summer rain this season, he was inundated with grasses and volunteer oats.

“A lot of different summer grasses came up, about six to eight inches high and they were very thick,” John said.

“We also had a lot of oats re-sprouting because we weren’t able to get them off until later.

“It was bad, so we decided we needed to spray it.”

Local adviceSpeaking to his local spray contractor from Windmill Agri, it was recommended to John that Roundup Attack with iQ inside was the way forward.

Launched in February 2012, Roundup Attack with iQ inside is the product replacement for Nufarm’s flagship glyphosate, Roundup PowerMAX, and is now the most extensive glyphosate label on the market.

After buying a drum from Denman Dapkos, the property was sprayed and after 10 days they had achieved 100 per cent control.

“It did a wonderful job,” John said.

“It totally took out all the grass and weeds.

“A couple of weeks after spraying we worked it back up and now it’s planted to lucerne.

“The crop has received about 50mm of rain so it had a great start and is looking good.”

“I’ll have what he’s having”: Roundup Attack with iQ insideReleased early in 2012, Roundup Attack with iQ inside has already got the neighbours talking. Speed of kill and effectiveness is proving it to be the ultimate in non selective weed control.

Peering over the fenceJohn wasn’t the only one to notice how effective Roundup Attack with iQ inside was at controlling his thick mass of summer grasses and volunteer oats.

In true country grapevine style, word spread like wildfire around Denman and everyone wanted to know what John had used.

Denman Dapkos was inundated with inquiries, with people asking what was sprayed on John Sowter’s paddock.

“It did a fantastic job. Within a couple of days it had all gone yellow and within 10 days it was all lying flat on the ground,” John said.

“Because of where we are located everybody sees what crops I’m growing or when I make a mistake.

“As soon as it happens they know about it.

“But in this case everybody was commenting and questioning how we got a good kill and wanted to know what we used.

“I’d definitely recommend Roundup Attack with iQ inside to anyone looking for an effective knockdown of summer or winter grasses.”

Denman farmer John Sowter experienced excellent weed control with Roundup Attack with iQ inside.

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Roundup Attack

Nuseed’s specialty canola oil, Monola®, is a key part of KFC’s commitment to develop a closer association with Australian farmers and

use local suppliers where possible across the spectrum of its menu.

Consumer research conducted by KFC found that improving the health profile of cooking oils was one of the most significant things the company could do to improve customer satisfaction.

Monola oil performs at much higher temperatures than regular canola oil. This stability at high temperatures and pressures has enabled KFC to use Monola oil to cook chicken, with added health and handling benefits, whilst keeping the same taste that consumers demand.

Nufarm CEO Doug Rathbone said that partnerships with organisations like KFC are important and valuable.

“When businesses like KFC commit to using our specialist seed products, it gives us the confidence to continue to invest in seed technologies that add value and solve problems throughout the supply chain,” Doug said.

“The development of Monola has taken more than 10 years. Way back at the start, we had an idea of what it could do and be, but it has taken a lot of hard work and vision to realise its potential.

“This decision from KFC is significant for Australian agriculture. It creates more opportunity for our farmers, giving them another option for high value crop production.”

Nuseed’s speciality oils manager, Travis Rankin, said that Nuseed’s strategic position has helped KFC achieve its ambition to build its relationships and understanding of Australian farmers in relation to its supply chain.

“We have worked very closely with the KFC team over the past two years to build confidence in the reliable

Nuseed celebrates Monola oil partnership with KFCNuseed and KFC have partnered up to deliver healthier, finger lickin’ good food across Australia, with the food company changing its cooking oil to 100 percent Australian high oleic canola oil.

supply of Monola. We have learned a lot about our end customer and KFC has taken the opportunity to more closely understand its supply chain,” he said.

“We are very excited to see this partnership with KFC come to life. The benefit to our farmers and the potential for further innovation is a great opportunity.”

Doug Rathbone, Nufarm CEO, said the partnership with KFC to change to 100 percent Australian high oleic canola oil would create significant opportunities for Australian canola growers.

“This decision from KFC is significant for Australian agriculture. It creates more opportunity for our farmers, giving them another option for high value crop production.”

News

nufarmer 7

Trial results show that Roundup Attack with iQ inside, Amicide Advance 700 and Sharpen herbicides are all effective tools for fallow-weed kill, giving growers

more options for an efficient chemical fallow in a range of conditions.

According to Nufarm research and development officer, Mark Slatter, each of the products was successfully tested for numerous use patterns, both in the laboratory and the field, before their release.

Roundup Attack with iQ inside was released in February 2012 and is Nufarm’s flagship glyphosate herbicide that features a new patented penetrator, resulting in faster penetration and uptake by the weed.

It delivers a faster brown out and better final efficacy and more robust weed control on hard-to-kill weeds, such as annual ryegrass and medic.

“It’s the most extensive glyphosate formulation available,” Mark said.

“It has been many years in the making and was thoroughly tested before its release, particularly in mixes with Amicide Advance 700.

“These two products cut down the need for a lot of adjuvants which may be required in other mixes.”

Mark said further research was being conducted on annual pastures and cereal crops, where applying the product before cutting hay will prevent pasture regrowth as well as controlling weed seed set (see story on page 9 for more details).

“These are new-use patterns for glyphosate in Australia, which should benefit growers.”

Amicide Advance 700 is the replacement for Amicide 625 and Surpass® 475 and is the world’s first 700g/L 2,4-D amine dual salt formulation.

A trifecta of chemical fallow options Many growers are realising the benefits of Nufarm’s trio of new products, Roundup Attack with iQ inside, Amicide Advance 700 and Sharpen.

It’s non-volatile, with an expanded label, greater use flexibility, compatibility with all Roundup products and is up to 2.3 times stronger than other formulations.

Mark said Roundup Attack with iQ inside and Amicide Advance 700 were both robust as standalone products, but when mixed could be a formidable force, particularly against harder-to-kill weeds.

“We’re seeing fleabane becoming a big issue in a lot of areas and Roundup Attack and Amicide Advance is a robust mixture on that weed,” Mark said.

“They have been thoroughly tested for use in chemical fallow by our research and development team and found to be successful.”

A sharper approach Sharpen WG is a Group G herbicide released by Nufarm in May and is a broadleaf herbicide molecule which delivers fast burn down on weeds such as young fleabane, capeweed, sowthistle and wild radish.

It is also compatible with Roundup products, so growers receive broad spectrum control of weeds.

“Sharpen is something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for nearly eight years,” Mark said.

“It’s predominantly recommended for application pre-cropping, but it can also be used on smaller weeds in spring fallow situations.

“Fleabane is also a key weed for Sharpen.

“So while there is no one product to provide the magic answer to fleabane, these three herbicides give growers more options, particularly if they get their timing right and target the younger, smaller weeds.

“Having them labelled for use on fleabane shows growers we actually back them, and have done the work in the field to be able to make these claims.

Weed control

8 nufarmer

“There are other products which make claims about being suitable to fleabane, but they may not be registered for its control.

“We try and make our labels user-friendly so they are easy to follow and provide guidelines as to what size weeds should be targeted.

“Growers should also take note of the water rate recommendations when using these three new products.”

Mark said when applying higher rates of Amicide Advance 700, Roundup Attack with iQ inside and Sharpen, a minimum of 70L/ha with a COARSE spray quality is recommended.

Since its release earlier this year, Roundup Attack with iQ inside has become a mainstay on broadacre farms across Australia.

But with a new use pattern being pursued, dairy farmers and hay producers could also take advantage of the product’s performance in hay and silage crops.

Damien Deckert, national business manager for Nufarm said the new use would allow growers to apply Roundup Attack with iQ inside prior to cutting their hay, pasture or silage to stop regrowth.

Pasture registration for additional flexibilityA new use registration for Roundup Attack with iQ inside will offer more flexibility in pastures and hay this season.

“This keeps paddocks cleaner and saves valuable nutrients and moisture. It also provides an opportunity to stop the seed set of weeds that germinated during the season as well as improving the quality of the hay,” Damien said.

“This new use will be particularly powerful in oaten hay crops as the weed control options are currently very limited and helps export producers ensure they are producing a high quality hay crop.”

Damien said the research and development team were looking at Roundup Attack with iQ inside being applied by ground boom or aerial equipment in a minimum of 70L/ha of water to mature standing crops, 1-10 days prior to cutting/mowing.

“We think that a higher rate should be used when applying in a high density hay or silage crop, if cutting is planned within three days of application, fast desiccation is required or if the crop is rank or lodged. A lower rate would be for low density hay and silage crops only.”

Roundup Attack with iQ inside has been seen to work well when used a minimum of three days prior to cutting or where environmental conditions such as low temperatures or moisture stress result in slow translocation in the target plant.

Demonstration trials have shown Roundup Attack with iQ inside’s superior performance in hay and silage. The area on the left has been left untreated, while Roundup Attack with iQ inside has been applied at 2.3L/ha (21 days after application).

Weed control

nufarmer 9

Perfect planning with CottonMap to prevent spray driftCottonMap is continuing to help growers reduce the incidence of spray drift in cotton growing areas.

Cotton

CottonMap, the online mapping system developed by Cotton Australia, Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), Grains Research Development

Corporation (GRDC) and Nufarm, has been designed to minimise off-target damage from downward herbicide application, particularly during fallow spraying.

It is a free service for growers, farm managers, consultants and contractors to upload cotton maps. They can also check the location of paddocks they may be planning to spray and assess proximity to the nearest cotton crop.

Gerard Bardell, business manager with Nufarm, said over the last three seasons the number of drift incidents reported to Cotton Australia had significantly decreased.

“Last season an estimated 98 per cent of cotton fields were voluntarily logged with CottonMap. During this time, we have seen less than 1 per cent of incidents reported, which is a great result,” Gerard said.

“It’s a sign that more people are becoming aware of the issue and being more careful when spraying, but it is important that we remain vigilant when applying pesticides.”

Gerard said early planning was an important part of the process.

“We would like to see cotton growers map their fields earlier in the season to ensure people in their district are aware of nearby sensitive areas and cotton crops,” he said.

A recent technical upgrade to the CottonMap website means that it is now easier to register cotton fields with CottonMap. Site users can now use their iPhone, tablet or smart phone device to view the location of nearby cotton fields before spraying.

“The CottonMap website recognises if the user is using a smart phone or tablet and shows a simplified version of the website,” Gerard said.

Steps to reduce spray drift• Spraywhenthewinddirectionismovingawayfrom

sensitive areas such as cotton fields, houses and waterways. Check your local weather conditions with a weather service such as Spraywise Decisions.

• UseaCOARSEsprayqualityorlarger.

• Neversprayduringalow-leveltemperatureinversion. These inversions are more prevalent at night, so take extreme care if spraying at night and stop immediately if a low level temperature inversion forms.

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Cotton

“You can also choose a 2.5, 5 or 10km buffer which highlights the proximity to neighbouring fields and quick links for advice on drift reduction and useful information related to correct application.”

Gerard said there it was vital that growers and spray contractors were aware of sensitive areas when spraying.

“No primary producer wishes to impact on the livelihood of another primary producer and using tools like CottonMap help ensure we can minimise the impact of drift.”

CottonMap is online from 1 September to 30 April each year.

What’s Nu?A sharper knockdown at low-use ratesFarmers have a sharp new weapon for their arsenal in the ongoing war against fleabane and other broadleaf weeds.

Sharpen was released by Nufarm in May and has been well received, achieving some strong knockdown results.

Nufarm business manager, Geoff Raymond, said Sharpen was effective against a wide range of broadleaf weeds prior to planting.

“Sharpen is highly effective at low-use rates in cereal crops, in both summer and winter crops,” Geoff said.

“It’s effective against hard-to-control weeds such as young fleabane, milk thistle (sowthistle), capeweed, radish and marshmallow.

“It can also be used to control volunteer cotton seedlings in northern regions.”

Trial work Sharpen has been extensively trialled across Australia in a range of conditions to ensure its efficacy in local conditions.

The Group G herbicide has also been tested with other key Nufarm formulations to deliver broad spectrum control in fallow situations.

A 2008 trial conducted at Cecil Plains in Queensland showed Sharpen delivered between 85-95 per cent control on fleabane when applied with Roundup PowerMAX®.

As Geoff said, it is highly effective at low rates of use, with a rate of 9-26g/ha and if fleabane is present, 17-34g/ha.

“To achieve the best results with Sharpen, growers should target small, actively-growing weeds from 4-to-10 leaf stage, or with fleabane a maximum six leaf stage,” he said.

“One of the key attributes is the faster, sharper more complete burn down of broadleaf weeds, with these weeds being totally controlled under good growing conditions in one to four days.”

Sharpen has a one-hour plant-back for most cereal and winter legume crops and is also rainfast within one hour.

Water dispersible granule formulation with KIXORSharpen comprises a water dispersible granule formulation containing the new active ingredient KIXOR®.

It is registered for the control of most broadleaf weeds and can be used with key Roundup formulations and should be applied with Bonza® adjuvant at the rate of one per cent to deliver fast, effective control of broadleaf weeds.

Combining the product with Roundup Attack with iQ inside makes for a formidable force in the control of grass weeds, but it can be successfully partnered with a range of herbicides.

www.nufarm.com.au/sharpen

www.cottonmap.com.au

Nufarm recognised the need for a more targeted approach in tackling herbicide resistance to provide growers with resources they could apply

to their own farming situation.

They teamed up with Monsanto and the two companies have been working together on the new initiative since November 2011.

Other key industry groups such as GRDC, CRDC, the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative and the Glyphosate Sustainability Working Group are now involved and the plan is to officially launch the new initiative in February 2013.

Damien Deckert, Nufarm national business manager, said to begin with, the focus would be on glyphosate resistance, given the widespread use of glyphosate and its importance to Australian agriculture.

“Historically, there’s been plenty of information out there about how herbicide resistance develops and what causes it, with some broad tips on what growers can do.

“But we think it’s important to change the culture and attitudes around herbicide resistance, by providing growers with some simple resources to help them implement better resistance management.

“It’s about protecting glyphosate as a molecule because it’s very important to the industry.”

Understanding the mindsetEarlier this year, a research survey was conducted with farmers, consultants and agronomists to help gather information on the current market mindset in regards to glyphosate resistance.

It found that more than 90 per cent of farmers used glyphosate, but only a third were aware of anything specific about glyphosate resistance and almost half were unaware of specific resistance management techniques.

“There is the attitude that glyphosate is cost effective, therefore I’ll just put a bit more on or I’ll make another application,” Damien said.

Industry initiative to combat glyphosate resistanceA partnership between key industry groups has developed a national brand strategy, which is aimed at providing a simple, tailored action plan for growers rather than just broad scale resistance information.

“The reality is that this will accelerate the incidence of resistance, but there is a lack of knowledge about how to change.

“That’s where we’ve recognised that to change attitudes we need to demonstrate that people can actually help protect the glyphosate molecule through some easy, simple steps.

“It’s about cutting through all the high level, complex, scientific-type information to make it as easy as possible for growers, because they have so many other aspects of their business to worry about.”

The research also revealed that farmers looked to their advisers (consultants or agronomists) to be responsible for resistance issues.

On the flip side, Damien said advisers were finding it challenging at times to get growers to change their practices due to some of the short-term financial and practical implications of implementing resistance management strategies.

He said for the new program to be effective, all growers need to realise the risks and impact of what it would mean to lose glyphosate.

“While it’s obviously our most popular product, if growers lose Roundup or glyphosate in general it will have a significant flow on effect for the whole industry, “ Damien said.

“The program gives growers the opportunity to understand resistance and realise that it’s not a big scary topic, and that by making a few small changes to their management they can continue to use glyphosate effectively for the next 20 years.”

Resistance

Damien Deckert

12 nufarmer

The next stepDamien said the next step for the initiative was identifying how to cut through, get to the heart of the problem and start changing attitudes towards herbicide resistance.

To help with the dissemination of resistance information, the group looked at various tablet and smart phone technologies to find the most efficient way of reaching growers.

“Nufarm and Monsanto are working very closely to build the brand and develop the platform and protocols.

This will include how the information is delivered and what it looks like,” Damien said.

“We want to ensure we’re getting the right level of detail, so it doesn’t just become another website that’s full of information, but isn’t valued because it’s too hard to navigate.

“The big challenge for us from now until February is to develop the right level of content and the best way to deliver this information to ensure that growers see value in this important new resource.”

According to Nufarm research and development officer, Scott Paton, Throttle®, Hornet®, Opus® and Opera® fungicides would give growers a suitable

level of control for their needs.

Effective and reliableThrottle is a low cost, all-round fungicide that delivers control on a range of cereal leaf and stem diseases.

“It is particularly effective in barley and low yielding wheat crops when treating barley scald, powdery mildew, stripe rust and yellow leaf spot,” Scott said.

Another option is Hornet, which provides effective, reliable control of a broad range of foliar cereal diseases to protect the crop’s yield potential.

Scott said Hornet was a good choice for growers dealing with issues such as leaf rust, stripe rust, Septoria nodorum blotch and yellow leaf spot in wheat and scald and powdery mildew in barley.

“Hornet delivers effective, reliable control across a broad range of cereal diseases where resistance is not an issue.”

Excellent valueOpus is a broad-spectrum contact and systemic fungicide for the control of a range of fungal diseases in barley and wheat.

Scott said Opus provided protectant, curative and eradicant activity and worked to stimulate the plant’s own disease resistance mechanism.

Fungicides to suit all needs Growers looking to control fungal diseases this season need to look no further than Nufarm’s range of cereal fungicides.

“The current cost of Opus makes this product excellent value to growers,” he said.

“There are some resistance issues in WA in relation to powdery mildew in barley, limiting the impact of Throttle and Hornet, but in that instance, Opus, which is an epoxiconazole, would be a good choice.”

The all rounder Opera contains a combination of two active ingredients, pyraclostrobin and epoxiconazole to create a robust fungicide for wheat, barley, oats and oaten hay producers.

Scott said it was the best all round fungicide to deliver protectant, curative and eradicant disease control when applied early in wheat, barley and oats.

“Given the good seasonal conditions and current grain prices growers should use the best fungicide available to maximise yield potential,” he said.

“Opera is best when used in a protectant fungicide program because application prior to infection allows both of the active ingredients to perform at optimal levels for residual protection of the cereal crop.”

www.nufarm.com.au

nufarmer 13

Resistance

The Kellocks crop about 3,000 hectares at Lake Rowan in north-east Victoria, with a program comprising of wheat and canola.

They have been growing canola since 1984, but controlling ryegrass has become a big challenge over the last few years, particularly dealing with resistance to Group A and Group B herbicides.

“In this game you continue to learn every year, because every year is different,” Chris said.

“We had Group A and B resistant ryegrass. Clethodim wasn’t working for us so I looked at the idea of Roundup Ready canola.”

This is their fourth season growing Roundup Ready canola and Chris said so far it had been a good fit for their farm.

Not only has it helped in the fight against ryegrass, but Chris said they had also started to have issues with emerging wild oats resistance.

However, he said Roundup applications in-crop had also been keeping the wild oats in control.

Another arrow for the grower bow Using Roundup Ready® canola as part of a weed management strategy has proven to be an effective tool for north east Victorian farmers Chris and Libby Kellock.

Combating herbicide resistanceGrowing Roundup Ready canola has been an effective weed control option for the Kellocks because it has allowed them to introduce a different mix of chemical groups, rather than continually relying on Group A and B chemicals.

“We were reliant on growing triazine-tolerant varieties and I’m not using them at this stage,” Chris said.

“Now we’re using more paraquat and not using clethodim and with the new chemicals coming on the market, it gives us another herbicide Group as well.”

The Kellocks have also had some valuable advice and guidance from Advanced Ag agronomist Tony Kelly.

Tony said clethodim resistance in the area was becoming a big problem in the canola rotation and the Roundup Ready system was proving a good option to combat it.

“If conditions are a bit dry at sowing, we’ve also seen simazine and atrazine haven’t been working.

“The Roundup Ready canola is a good option, as it gives growers the confidence to go in and sow and be able to go back and clean it up in crop.

“It’s a good way of lowering the ryegrass population and more growers are realising that.

“We’ve signed on 10 new growers this year to the Roundup Ready growing system and they can really see the benefits.”

Tony said Chris was a prime example of how growing Roundup Ready canola had cleaned up the ryegrass population.

He said the only challenge was the emergence of wild radish, which is why Chris had done two sprays this year.

“Chris is proactive and recognises the benefits of two sprays,” Tony said.

“He gets in there early, does the first spray, puts his urea on and really gets the plants going, then comes in with the second spray.”

Chris Kellock in his Roundup Ready canola crop.

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Canola

An easy optionFor Chris, the decision to grow Roundup Ready canola in his enterprise has paid dividends on numerous counts.

But one aspect he wasn’t expecting was just how easy growing the Roundup Ready varieties would be.

“I’m really enjoying the easy management with the Roundup Ready,” he said.

“The varieties we’re using have great vigour and the plants grow really well, and they also stand up well to adversity.

“We’ve grown them through dry years and the crop grew very well, exceeding our expectations for yield and grain quality.”

Last year, their canola averaged 2.2t/ha, with some crops yielding as much as 2.8t/ha, with good oil content.

After growing Roundup Ready and triazine tolerant canola side-by-side, Chris said he believed they were 0.3-0.4t/ha better off.

“For us, growing Roundup Ready canola just gives us another arrow for our bow,” he said.

“By having access to new products we’re able to hit ryegrass like we haven’t been able to in the past.

“Being able to apply Roundup early after crop emergence is a real plus for the crop, as it takes the weeds out very early.

“I believe it has helped our operation by reducing the overall ryegrass population, whereas with previous weed control strategies our ryegrass numbers were building up.

“Controlling ryegrass is a numbers game and you’ve got to keep your numbers low.”

“I believe it has helped our operation by reducing the overall ryegrass population, whereas with previous weed control strategies our ryegrass numbers were building up.

Advanced Ag agronomist Tony Kelly with Chris Kellock, who has successfully used the Roundup Ready growing

system to control annual ryegrass and wild oats.

nufarmer 15

Canola

For more information on nufarm’s product range, please call your local nufarm Area Sales Manager.

Northern

Regional Sales Manager Gavin Kerr 0419 558 219Business Development Manager/Cotton Marg Castleden 0409 065 994Northern Horticulture Manager George Piccirillo 0437 329 275

Area Sales Managers

Far North Queensland/ Northern Territory Mark Rantucci 0409 200 993Wide Bay-Burnett/Central Qld Alistair Ferrier 0458 456 041Darling Downs/SW QLD Gerard Doherty 0419 882 904North Coast and SE QLD Matt Moyle 0400 811 796Namoi Valley & New England Mark Dempsey 0417 097 007Gwydir & MacIntyre Valleys Jack Williamson 0438 907 820Greater Central West Wesley Greig 0428 285 865Central & Southern Tablelands/ Hunter Valley Melissa Trengove 0438 985 785

R&D Officers

R&D Officer Nick Matthews 0428 736 660R&D Officer Frank Taylor 0438 092 972

Customer Service 1800 267 612

Southern

Regional Sales Manager Rohan Wardle 0438 343 079Business Development Manager Brad Johnson 0428 340 825Southern Horticulture Manager Nick Hall 0429 434 217

Area Sales Managers

Western Riverina Mark Norbiato 0429 398 854Riverina & SE NSW Eleanor Nolan 0439 354 440Wimmera/Mallee & Riverland Simon Schlitz 0427 806 635North Central VIC & Southern Riverina Shayne Mathews 0409 709 455Tasmania & Southern VIC Peter Wilkinson 0418 132 087Mid North & Yorke Peninsula Lucas Bagshaw 0400 286 470SE SA & SW VIC Russell Meade 0418 818 570Eyre Peninsula Ken Webber 0428 828 410

R&D Officers

R&D Officer (NSW) Mitch Allen 0458 742 221R&D Officer (VIC) Mark Slatter 0438 064 845R&D Officer (SA) Gereon Schnippenkoetter 0438 862 896R&D Officer (SA) John Both 0418 803 055

Customer Service 1800 033 038

Western Australia

Regional Sales Manager Steve Lacy 0407 542 448Business Development Manager TBA

Sales Managers

Northern Agricultural Region Bill Campbell 0427 545 553South East/Esperance TBA South West & Great Southern James Bee 0438 390 868Mid West Wheatbelt TBA

R&D Officer

R&D Officer Mike Jackson 0427 527 975R&D Officer Scott Paton 0427 692 319

Customer Service 1800 997 678

Croplands

South Australia Luke Wormald 0419 991 534Southern Qld & Northern NSW Jeremy Rennick 0407 485 569Queensland Rob Graham 0409 597 462Northern NSW, Tasmania & NT Dave Farmer 0427 651 971Southern NSW & Sunraysia David Hamilton 0427 975 072Victoria Matthew Plunkett 0417 832 784Western Australia John Griffiths 0407 132 746Western Australia Gavin Merritt 0448 022 172Application Specialist Jorg Kitt 0429 939 403

Nuseed

Northern NSW and QLD Neil Weier 0429 622 056Central NSW Chris Roberts 0437 178 296Southern NSW Alan Wright 0407 081 721Eastern VIC, Mid North SA & Eyre Peninsula SA Rob Christie 0427 340 608Western VIC & South East SA Steve Fischer 0427 486 930Southern WA Andrew Suverjin 0409 484 702Northern WA Hugh Trenorden 0437 206 313

This information is a guide only and no substitutes for professional or expert advice. The product label should be consulted before use of any of the products referred to in this publication. Nufarm Australia Limited shall not be held liable for any results, loss or damage whatsoever, whether consequential or otherwise through the use or application of products and/or materials referred to herein.

Amicide, Bonza, Spraywise Decisions, Nufarm Surpass, Top Croppers, Throttle, Hornet and Estercide are registered trademarks of Nufarm Australia Limited. Opera, Opus, Sharpen and KIXOR are registered trademarks of BASF used under licence by Nufarm Australia Limited. Roundup, Roundup Ready and Roundup PowerMAX are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC used under licence by Nufarm Australia Limited. LI 700 is a trademark of Loveland Products Inc used under licence by Nufarm Australia Limited. Ally is a registered trademark of Du Pont Australia Limited. Monola, Attack and with iQ inside are trademarks of Nufarm Australia Limited. iPhone and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Airmix is a registered trademark of Agrotop. Monola is a registered trademark of Nuseed.

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