Enhancing applications in the face of glyphosate resistance

Glyphosate resistance confirmed in UK

With glyphosate resistance now confirmed in the UK, agriculture faces a significant challenge in combating grassweed infestations. As a cornerstone herbicide for no-till and low-tillage farming systems, glyphosate’s effectiveness must be maximised to protect both crop yields and sustainability goals.

To ensure the problem does not escalate, growers must make the most of their applications. Bayer stress the importance of not only using ‘a sufficient dose’ to avoid surviving weeds becoming a resistance risk, but also stat that a ‘correct application technique ensures the required rate reaches the intended target’.

This is where Inferno proves indispensable by reducing spray drift so more water droplets hit target, ensuring hard water cations do not reduce glyphosate efficacy and providing flexibility in application.

Glyphosate Reliance and the Increasing Weed Threat

Spring crops can be a useful management tool for reducing grassweed pressure by allowing a long period of germination for grassweed prior to drilling, which can be controlled using glyphosate. Creating a stale seedbed pre drilling helps eradicate any weeds that have established over the winter period.

However, poor application technique—resulting in spray drift or insufficient coverage—can severely impact control and increase the risk of resistance development.

The Role of Inferno in Optimising Glyphosate Application

Inferno aids spray application by significantly reducing spray drift and improving droplet deposition and coverage. This is achieved through its advanced formulation, which includes drift-reducing polyacrylamide polymers.

1. Drift Reduction: Spray drift poses a substantial risk to non-target areas, which also causes environmental concerns. Inferno addresses this by decreasing the number of fine droplets (<100 microns) most prone to drift. Independent studies conducted by the Silsoe Spray Applications Unit have demonstrated that the inclusion of Inferno at a 1% dose rate can reduce spray drift by up to 75%. This is achieved by increasing the Volume Median Diameter (VMD) of spray droplets, ensuring they remain intact for longer and resist in-flight evaporation.
2. Improved Coverage and Retention: Inferno’s innovative formulation ensures droplets are evenly deposited across the target surface. This improved spray pattern increases the herbicide’s contact with weed leaves, particularly blackgrass, enhancing glyphosate uptake. The polymer-based technology also minimises droplet bounce and improves spray retention, making the herbicide rainfast and better equipped to withstand adverse conditions.
3. Water Conditioning: Inferno softens hard water by effective and rapid sequestration of Ca2+ and Mg2+, ensuring that glyphosate efficacy is not reduced.

Proven Performance Against Grassweeds

Field trials by Eurofins highlighted the positive impact pairing glyphosate with inferno has – particularly in seasons where grassweed pressures are extreme, – by reducing spray drift and ensuring all the glyphosate is deposited on the weed surface herbicide activity is optimised.

Practical Benefits for Growers

Inferno also delivers practical advantages for operators:

• Flexibility in boom height: Inferno’s drift-reduction properties allow sprayers to operate at higher boom heights without compromising precision, increasing application efficiency (ha/hour).
• Ease of use: The anti-foam properties of Inferno improve sprayer filling efficiency, reducing downtime during busy seasons.

Conclusion

Glyphosate resistance has caused concern, as it remains critical to UK agriculture. Sustainable use requires a focus on application efficiency. Inferno represents a solution for growers, combining unmatched drift reduction with superior spray coverage and retention. By ensuring more glyphosate reaches its target, herbicide activity is maintained and Inferno also protects the environment and extends glyphosate’s longevity as a vital agricultural tool.

Please follower Bayer’s guidance on glyphosate use. On their website, you can find guidelines on minimising resistance, a statement from the Weed Resistance Action Group and further FAQs.