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THERE was a focus on broadleaf weed control in lentils in the afternoon session of the YP AG Farmer Technology Day at Bute last Wednesday, August 30.

SYP agriservices agronomist Troy Johnson started the afternoon’s proceedings by running the group through some current and novel herbicide applications for weed control in lentils.

There was great discussion with the audience about the fine line between crop effect and weed control, when it came to some herbicides.

“One product applied at one rate is not applicable across the whole peninsula for lentil weed management,” Troy said.

“Knowing the chemical characteristics of the active ingredient, your soil type and weather conditions around the application timing are all important considerations when determining what product or mixture of products to use on your lentils.”

The main weed of concern at the site was Indian hedge mustard.

Testing in 2022 showed the mustard had high levels of resistance to all Group 2 and 4 herbicides.

This has made herbicide choice tricky in the cereal component of the rotation, and critical in the lentil crop to ensure mustard is properly controlled.

With this information in mind, Chris Davey, of YP AG Kadina, took the growers through a stacked weed control trial.

This trial showed it is so important to not to rely on just one or two herbicide groups alone for broadleaf weed control in lentils.

Four set herbicides were chosen and applied at four set timings across the lentil’s crop stages.

With multiple rain events throughout the growing season, there had been many germinations of the mustard.

Hence, relying on just pre-emergent herbicides was not advisable and, when herbicide resistance was taken into account, the message was driven home about taking as many opportunities as possible to control weeds throughout the year.

There was some brief discussion about Chris’s role within WeedSmart and the use of the Big 6 on mustard, which utilises many different ways to reduce weed competition with crops and put off the onset of herbicide resistance.

Graduate agronomist Brianna Schaefer spoke on a similar trial to Dom Meaney before lunch, but this time in lentils, and how pre-emergent herbicide, along with sowing speed and depth influences crop growth and yield.

Lentils are very sensitive to herbicides, so ensuring they have the least effect from herbicides is paramount to establishing the best plant density possible.

Reflex herbicide has a fantastic fit in lentils, controlling resistant weeds like bifora, IH mustard and wild radish.

However, it can also set a lentil crop back if used the wrong way, or if your seeding set-up results in excessive soil throw onto neighbouring lentil rows.

Nat Lloyd, of YP AG Kadina, concluded the presentations, looking at how Metro lentils can play a role in weed management, particularly on resistant weeds.

Metros are tolerant of applications of metribuzin, a triazine growers have to be careful when using it on their conventional lentils, as it is very soluble and mobile in the soil and can cause a reduction in plant density, and hence yield, on some soil types.

Metribuzin rates up to double, even triple, about normal rates can be applied to Metro lentils, making them attractive as an option to achieve a very high level of weed control in paddocks which may not have normally had that option with a conventional lentil variety.

Nat ran through different timings and rates of metribuzin applied to the Metros and how it is best to target at least a couple of timings throughout the year to control multiple mustard germinations.

Darryn Schilling summarised another successful day by thanking all involved and said it was possibly the best YP AG Farmer Technology Day ever.