Label changes to a popular oilseed rape herbicide could affect the entire rotation as there is now the requirement for a three-year gap between certain crops.
The Dow AgroScience’s herbicide Galera (clopyralid + picloram) is the main spring-applied herbicide for winter oilseed rape for the control of cleavers, mayweeds, sow-thistles and thistles. Under the new requirements there must be a four month gap between the use of the herbicide and any new crop of wheat, barley, oats, maize or oilseed rape. However, for all other crops this period is three years.
The new requirements could be particularly problematic for vegetable growers who rent land on an annual basis and John Sellars of Dow AgroScience warns that growers need to plan ahead.
The manufacturer has said it is working to have most of the rotational crop restrictions lifted in the future, but they apply to product with the new MAPP number of 16413. Old stocks of Galera (MAPP 11961) must be used by the final approval date of 30 September 2015.
