Inferno: create a stable seed bed prior to drilling winter cereals
Considerations for pre-drilling
The early harvest this summer will allow time for multiple flushes of grassweeds to germinate prior to drilling winter cereals, if there is sufficient moisture available. During pre-drilling, it is critical to spray off as much blackgrass as possible so that it doesn’t germinate in the crop. This ensures the crop can establish with minimum competition and that pre-emergent residual chemicals will work more effectively as there is a much smaller population of grassweed to control.
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 use must be as impactful as possible to improve crop yields and meet environmental 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 state that a ‘correct application technique ensures the required rate reaches the intended target’.
An early harvest can be useful for reducing grassweed pressure as it allows a much long period of germination for grassweeds prior to drilling, which means it can be controlled using glyphosate. Creating a stale seedbed pre-drilling helps eradicate any weeds that have established over the summer and early autumn.
It is imperative to make sure application is effective and does not result in spray drift or insufficient coverage, as this can severely impact control and increase the risk of resistance development.
Using Inferno with glyphosate applications significantly reduces spray drift and improves droplet deposition and coverage. These advancements are achieved through its advanced formulation, which includes drift-reducing polyacrylamide polymers.
- 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. - 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. - Water Conditioning
Inferno softens hard water by effective and rapid sequestration of Ca2+ and Mg2+, ensuring that glyphosate efficacy is not reduced.
Field trials by Eurofins highlighted the positive impact pairing glyphosate with Inferno has, particularly in seasons where grassweed pressures are extreme. It does this by reducing spray drift and ensuring all the glyphosate is deposited on the weed surface so that herbicide activity is optimised.
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). This is particularly beneficial when managing autumn workload, particularly if there is a narrow weather window to spray off, cultivate and drill fields with winter crops.
- Ease of use: The anti-foam properties of Inferno improve sprayer filling efficiency, reducing downtime during busy seasons.
Glyphosate remains critical to UK agriculture, but its 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, Inferno not only boosts weed control but also protects the environment and extends glyphosate’s longevity as a vital agricultural tool.
