New OSR herbicide Belkar -my experience

Woodlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Leicestershire
I thought some on here may be interested in my experience throughout the season with the new oilseed rape herbicide Belkar. I have been fortunate enough to secure supply for my oilseed rape area.

Cranesbill is one of the main broad leaved weed targets we have whatever the crop, and my previous strategy was based on a full rate of Katamaran Turbo (Shadow/Elk) preferably applied pre-em. With the increased risks of OSR not establishing (flea beetle etc) the temptation is to apply it early post em, when you know you have a viable crop - but compromising herbicide activity. The cost of 2.5l/ha Katamaran Turbo last year was £59.25/ha, and as a residual it was far from giving 100% control, especially of cranesbill

Many on here have said that Belkar is expensive, and at £390 for 3 litres, it is the most expensive pesticide per litre I have ever bought but at a maximum total dose of 0.5l/ha that works out at £65/ha

I decided to go along the lines of a split dose strategy of 0.25 l/ha followed by 0.25 l/ha. The first dose was applied last Monday. I've marked three different placesin in the fields to return to take photos, one a patch of mayweed, one a patch of cranesbill and the other a patch of shepherd's purse. I need to slot a Centurian Max in on parts of the fields so it likely to be a 4 week gap between applications. I would have liked to apply the first application around 7 days earlier but that was the week where we had high winds or rain everyday.
 

Woodlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Leicestershire
Mayweed - probably showing the least effect - as a hormone herbicide you expect to twisting and distortion

First picture - pre-application
Second picture - 2 days post application
Third picture - 5 days post application
IMG_20180924_115103996.jpg
IMG_20180926_170718186.jpg
IMG_20180929_123304169_HDR.jpg
 

moretimeforgolf

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
North Kent, UK
We’re going try some Belkar too, with the main targets being cranesbill, fumitory and groundsel. Will have the recommendations mid-week having sprayed with Centurion max last week. I was very impressed with Zypar in the spring, so hopefully, with the same arylex ingredient, Belkar should do a good job.
 

turbo

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
lincs
Done a small field today with it,more a look see but if mine works as well as your picture show I will be happy
 

BenB

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Wiltshire
Great post thanks for sharing @Woodlander. I have some I am trying with a client, where clomazone pre-em was missed. I was planning to do the split 0.25 fb 0.25 however the field was direct-drilled, so weed pressure hasn't been horrendous and with the crop not far off 5-6 leaf I think I will go straight for the 0.5.

There is lots of shepherds purse so your pictures are encouraging. I have enjoying using Zypar/Pixxaro for the past couple of years in cereals, had great results!
 

CivikS

Member
Hi, the Belkar is new product to us too. We had recomendations from sellers, that Belkar is very good and good priced when used in direct drill situations. The recomendation for P/P ir post em aplication 0.25 l/ ha Belkar + 0.6 l/ ha Metazamix.

So, there is result:
Subsoiled WOSR in ex white clover seed field (had failure with red clover in field and had to write it down) and day after aplication:
WhatsApp Image 2018-09-03 at 19.39.12.jpeg

and 3 days after:

WhatsApp Image 2018-09-03 at 19.50.13.jpeg

and today:
WhatsApp Image 2018-09-30 at 19.52.33(1).jpeg
WhatsApp Image 2018-09-30 at 19.52.33.jpeg
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Twisting and distortion maybe, but for that sort of money I want to see it burnt to a crisp, and hopefully you can show us that eventually.

I have seen MCPA distort it in cereals only for it to bounce back. Same with Fox and Galera which seemed more or less useless here.

I found Astrokerb at the blackgrass rate burnt it off pretty well, even though cranesbill wasn't mentioned on the label.

Clomazone is not doing much against larger cranesbill here, but it nearly knackered some of the rape where the drill ran a bit light on the headlands.
 

Woodlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Leicestershire
@Woodlander - we have tried a bit. Going to do 0.25l and then take a view. Following recent NIAB meeting, I'm hoping that this might be enough. Will go with Astrokerb anyway for thistles, so this may finish off a few things. Also, we paid quite a bit less than £390/l.

I'll be checking prior to applying the second 0.25 l/ha to see if the second split is required. Given the weed population in places and also the size of some of the weeds compared to the sizes controlled claimed on the label, and also following discussions with Corteva, I'd be surprised if we don't need to do the follow up.

I have another block of OSR where the drilling date was around 3 weeks later, (OK it was re-drilled, but not because of flea beetle, 17mm of rain in 10 minutes the evening of drilling lead to capping) There are fewer weeds on this block, and they are much smaller, so I'm hopeful just one 0.25 l/ha will be sufficient here

Well done RE pricing. I got three quotes and this was the best I could find. Some companies I asked for a quote would not supply - they were keeping it back for their serviced customers as supply is low this year. I'm hopeful that supply will be plentiful next year and prices come down.
 

Woodlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Leicestershire
Great post thanks for sharing @Woodlander. I have some I am trying with a client, where clomazone pre-em was missed. I was planning to do the split 0.25 fb 0.25 however the field was direct-drilled, so weed pressure hasn't been horrendous and with the crop not far off 5-6 leaf I think I will go straight for the 0.5.

There is lots of shepherds purse so your pictures are encouraging. I have enjoying using Zypar/Pixxaro for the past couple of years in cereals, had great results!

Ben, I was tempted to go straight in on these fields with 0.5l/ha, but some of the OSR on the heaviest land was a little on the small size for a full rate application. All a bit of a learning curve with a new product, but isn't it nice to have a new product to discuss!!
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
Twisting and distortion maybe, but for that sort of money I want to see it burnt to a crisp, and hopefully you can show us that eventually.

I have seen MCPA distort it in cereals only for it to bounce back. Same with Fox and Galera which seemed more or less useless here.

I found Astrokerb at the blackgrass rate burnt it off pretty well, even though cranesbill wasn't mentioned on the label.

Clomazone is not doing much against larger cranesbill here, but it nearly knackered some of the rape where the drill ran a bit light on the headlands.

cranesbill is not a clomazone susceptible weed. Did mention it when you referred to using clomazone specifically for cranesbill in a thread a few weeks ago. Need this new herbicide or Dimethamid pre / very early post emergence, or aminopyralid as in Astrokerb gives it a knocking about / distortion.
 

Oat

Member
Location
Cheshire
cranesbill is not a clomazone susceptible weed. Did mention it when you referred to using clomazone specifically for cranesbill in a thread a few weeks ago. Need this new herbicide or Dimethamid pre / very early post emergence, or aminopyralid as in Astrokerb gives it a knocking about / distortion.
+1
Dimethamid-P, Astrokerb and also Fox I think are the best options. Other chemistry such as metazachlor and napropamide may also add something to the party
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
cranesbill is not a clomazone susceptible weed. Did mention it when you referred to using clomazone specifically for cranesbill in a thread a few weeks ago. Need this new herbicide or Dimethamid pre / very early post emergence, or aminopyralid as in Astrokerb gives it a knocking about / distortion.

Yes, my mistake. It went on for cleavers and shepherds purse, but has bleached cranesbill at the cotyledon stage. Beyond that no real effect.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
@Woodlander - we have tried a bit. Going to do 0.25l and then take a view. Following recent NIAB meeting, I'm hoping that this might be enough. Will go with Astrokerb anyway for thistles, so this may finish off a few things. Also, we paid quite a bit less than £390/l.

How much is quite a bit less than £390 ? i'm looking for a bit at the moment to tidy up a couple of fields
 

Zippy768

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dorset/Wilts
Correct me if I am wrong. But I can't see the attraction of this herbi at that kind of price. Potential for the need of 0.5l from what I heard, especially the size of weeds posted here.
 

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
I paid £132/l
@Woodlander surely the price you’ve put up is for a 3L can not per liter?

Edit: re reading your earlier post you do say it was £390 for 3L can. Not sure where the £390/L crept in.
 

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