CONVISO® SMART benefits go beyond weed beet control
Robert and his son Ed standing next to the boundry between the treated and untreated section of the field with CONVISO® ONE
28.08.2020
After a season marred by challenging growing conditions, Robert Strachan has been more than impressed by the performance of his CONVISO® SMART sugar beet crop.
“This field was chosen in part because of a significant burden of weed beet and to a lesser extent, fat-hen. But the control achieved by the CONVISO® ONE herbicide means that we have a commercially viable crop of sugar beet that would otherwise not be possible,” says Mr Strachan.
“We set out to give it a proper test, but the dry spring and summer that followed drilling has upped the ante. Despite the conditions the crop established well, and the weed control has been exceptional,” says Mr Strachan who farms at South Cove, near Beccles, Suffolk.
The 10-hectares of SMART JANNINKA KWS sugar beet was drilled at the end of March in a field that by Mr Strachan’s own admission would not otherwise be in the sugar beet rotation.
The control achieved by the CONVISO® ONE herbicide means that we have a commercially viable crop of sugar beet that would otherwise not be possible
Highlighting a well timed CONVISO® ONE spray on the right of the image compared to a Betanal maxxPro treatment prior to recieving CONVISO® ONE on the Left
“This field was chosen in part because of a significant burden of weed beet and to a lesser extent, fat-hen. But the control achieved by the CONVISO® ONE herbicide means that we have a commercially viable crop of sugar beet that would otherwise not be possible,” says Mr Strachan.
To assess the weed control performance of the CONVISO® ONE (foramsulfuron + thiencarbazone) herbicide, the field was separated into four separate treatments with Betanal maxxPro (desmedipham + ethofumesate + lenacil + phenmedipham) serving as the control.
Fat-hen served as the trigger weed for herbicide timings, but the conditions that followed meant the programme had to be amended.
“One treatment involved Betanal maxxPro followed by CONVISO® ONE, but the timings slipped, and the weed beet had reached four true leaves by the time the CONVISO® ONE was applied. Nonetheless, it took the weed beet out comfortably.”
Weed control was only one part of the CONVISO® SMART system that Mr Strachan wanted to consider. The potential time savings from fewer spray applications, the crop health benefits of unchecked growth, and the financial savings from not needing to rogue weed beet were just as important.
“Time is a commodity that is in short supply. If we can control weeds with two sprays rather than four, this means there is more time to spend on higher value crops. The same is true of rogueing, without CONVISO® SMART the crop would have needed two passes. The financial saving this represents is not inconsiderable and for me, one of the most compelling reasons to adopt the system,” says Mr Strachan.
Crop growth was not hindered by the CONVISO® ONE herbicide in the same manner as non-CONVISO® SMART varieties are with classical herbicides
“It was also evident that crop growth was not hindered by the CONVISO® ONE herbicide in the same manner as non-CONVISO® SMART varieties are with classical herbicides. In a season where lack of moisture post-drilling restricted growth, it was reassuring to see the Smart Janninka KWS reaching 12 leaves faster than other varieties,” he adds.
A final benefit of the CONVISO® SMART system identified by Mr Strachan is the ability to focus sugar beet on the most suitable ground.
“There are years when we need to produce sugar beet on some of the heavier land to meet our contract tonnage. This means lifting the crop by the end of September to avoid damaging soils which means capping yields. CONVISO® SMART has the potential to bring land back into the sugar beet rotation thereby delaying lifting, spreading the seasonal workload, and supporting yield accumulation,” says Mr Strachan.
