The Pesticide Safety Directorate has issued a stern warning that certain herbicides are no longer available for sale and supply due to the revocation of their approval. As a result, bean and pea growers, particularly those returning to these crops, are being reminded that Nirvana is fully approved for use in winter field beans, spring field beans, combining peas and vining peas.
Jonathan Ball, pulse marketing specialist for chemical company BASF, said: “New or returning pulse growers who have not grown beans or peas for a number of years need to check weed control options for this winter and next spring.
“The herbicide sector in beans and peas has changed over the past few years with the loss of many active ingredients. We no longer have simazine for beans and trifluralin can no longer be sold by distributors - the last date for sale and supply was September 20, 2008.
“In peas the situation is even worse, with the loss of many stalwart active ingredients in the last few years,” he added.
Containing imazamox and pendimethalin, Nirvana is recommended pre-emergence of the crop and, with limited post-emergence options, growers need to aim to get as much as they can from the pre-emergence herbicide treatment.
Nirvana is recommended in all varieties of winter and spring field beans, combining and vining peas for the control of broad-leaved weeds including black-bindweed, charlock, common chickweed, common field speedwell and common fumitory.
“Nirvana is a useful and flexible replacement product that can fill the many gaps arising from revocation and loss of active ingredients in the pulse sector,” added Ball.
“Growers have a choice of flexible dose rates according to crop, weed pressure, weed spectrum and length of persistence required.
“In field beans and combining peas, the maximum 4.5 litres per hectare dose rate offers long persistence and excellent activity when under high pressure from difficult weeds such as the polygonums, while the 3l/ha rate is targeted for more general use against moderate or average weed populations.
“In vining peas, dose rates are matched to soil type. For light soils, between 2.5 to 3l/ha is recommended, while on medium to heavy soils, three to 3.5l/ha should be used. Where Black nightshade is a severe threat in vining peas, a programme of 3l/ha of Nirvana pre-emergence followed by Basagran SG post-emergence is recommended.”
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