Time to conquer brushweeds, reclaim lost ground

If you think you’re seeing a lot more yellow around lately, your eyes are not deceiving you.

Michael Bennet.

Tight budgets in recent years have been hard on farmers but kind to gorse, and other brushweeds too.

Fortunately the tide is set to turn, Nufarm business development manager Michael Bennet says.

“A lot of brushweed spraying has been deferred over the past four years, because market conditions were tough and farmers just couldn’t afford to do as much as they normally would.

“They have been spending money to contain bad patches to prevent them spreading further, but there’s a lot of gorse around at present.”

Hardly surprising when a single plant can produce up to 36,000 seeds per square metre, every year.

Bennet predicts big season ahead for brushweed control across the board as farmers make up lost ground.

“They have more resources available to do that job, and a lot more optimism.”

It’s a welcome change, and an important one too, because rampant brushweeds and efficient productivity don’t go together, Bennet points out.

“If your customers want to take advantage of better returns, they need all the good grazing they can get.

“Whether it’s big thick infestations on hill country, or scattered plants in dairy pasture, the principle is the same.”

Now’s the perfect time to start helping customers reclaim their valuable land – all that’s needed is a solid plan, and the right herbicide products.

Bennet says key factors to consider before starting any control programme include the brushweed species present; their density and distribution; and how long farmers want to wait before re-sowing pasture seed after spraying.

A common scenario is scattered infestations on grazeable land where farmers want to protect the existing grass while still getting rid of gorse, broom or other brushweeds.

In this case, Conquest (Group 4) applied aerially or by handgun can be a good option, he says, because it is effective, fast acting and grass friendly, so it won’t leave brown patches in pasture.

That’s not all it does, however.

“Conquest can also be used on for spot spraying broadleaf weeds like docks, thistle and ragwort, including large, multi-crown and difficult to kill species,” Bennet adds.

“In effect it gives customers the ability to tackle two pasture maintenance jobs with one product. It will damage clover, however, so farmers need to take care with applications.”

Conquest contains the active ingredients picloram and triclopyr; is very cost effective and takes out awkward weeds that other herbicides struggle to control, including alligator weed, horehound, inkweed, cape weed, goats rue, fennel, hemlock and sorrel.

“Sprayed weeds rapidly show signs of herbicide application, and full brownout can occur within weeks, so you can see results fast.”

Conquest also has short term residual soil activity which will suppress weeds that try to germinate around the area that has been treated.

For controlling larger, denser infestations of brushweeds, Associate 600WDG (Group 2) is a well-known and affordable option.

However, Bennet says, it will damage existing clovers and ryegrass, and soil residues can persist for up to 12 months, depending on application rate, soil type and climate.

If farmers are targeting gorse in particular, Pulse Penetrant should always be added to Conquest or Associate 600 WDG.

“Gorse has a very thick cuticle inhibiting the uptake of herbicides, so Pulse Penetrant allows uptake through the stomata ensuring sufficient herbicide gets into the gorse plants.”

And he has one parting last piece of advice: “Coverage is key, so don’t skimp on water rates.”

Best results are achieved when target brushweeds are not flowering at the time of spraying.