Maintaining a clear area beneath vines can take up a lot of time, labour, and fuel in vineyard, yet it is necessary. New residual herbicide Katana provides a powerful option including glyphosate resistant ryegrass control.
Proven new and existing chemistry coming to growers’ aid
As growers know, maintaining a clear area beneath the vines can take up a lot of time, labour, and fuel. But there’s no way round it, as weeds compete with grapevines for resources and can impact crop health and productivity throughout the season.
The recent registration of Katana in grapes in New Zealand provides an option for long-term control of problem weeds including glyphosate resistant ryegrass. (Katana contains 250 g/kg flazasulfuron in the form of a water dispersible granule.) While Katana may be a name that’s new in grapes in this country it’s already a go-to in Europe’s vineyards.
Leaving glyphosate resistant ryegrass no chance
New Zealand trials have shown Katana to be highly effective against glyphosate resistant ryegrass as well as a range of other problem vineyard weeds. Teresa Lewis, UPL NZ Ltd Technical Field Specialist, says “If Katana can take on glyphosate resistant ryegrass, it’s a great option for growers who have suspicions their current options aren’t quite cutting it.”
Ryan Pierce, UPL Regional Sales Manager Lower North Island says, Katana could be massive for growers. “In terms of savings on fuel and staff time, it can provide control for up to 5 months. We’ve seen it work in some tough conditions.”
Katana can be applied during the period after harvest up to bud-break, when soil is bare and there is no green cover. Katana needs to touch the ground to ensure the necessary soil uptake for effective long-lasting control. “Katana works best when there’s a bit of moisture around – either pre- or post-application, just to get it moving through the soil profile and preventing seedling emergence.”
