New trials data from Birds Eye has confirmed the importance of integrating the use of pre-emergence herbicides such as Nirvana in managing the potential threat of potato apples (also known as berries), a contamination threat that can lead to complete crop rejection in vining peas.

Andrew Whiting, agronomy manager for Birds Eye, said: “Trials and commercial usage have already demonstrated that the use of Nirvana in fields where potato volunteers are likely to be a problem reduces the number of potato berries going into the factory or spotted during scanning in the factory. This year we looked at two different dose rates of Nirvana, 3 l/ha and 3.5 l/ha. The higher dose rate reduced the number of potato flowers and hence the potato volunteer’s ability to produce berries by 78 per cent, which was a very good result. It was also crop safe. ”

Potato berries are produced by potato tubers left in the soil from a previous crop and are of similar size and colour to peas. If they are left in the crop, they contaminate the vining pea sample and lead to rejection. "We advise growers to use an integrated programme based on drilling dates and the use of Nirvana, which is the only really effective chemical solution we have,“ said Whiting.

Nirvana is produced by chemical company BASF.

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