Control docks and other broadleaf weeds in one hit with Dockstar® and Baton® 800WSG. Left unchecked, these weeds can create pasture suppression this spring. Contact Advance Agriculture for more information on 0800 227 226. For more crop protection solutions visit nufarm.co.nz ®Dockstar is a registered trademark of Nufarm Limited. ®Baton is a registered trademark of Nufarm Australia Limited ONF206923WT Don’t let docks control you! Give docks the boot this season After 20 years as Nufarm territory manager for Southland and Otago, Paul Bridgman has seen more paddocks in the deep south than most. And what he’s really seeing these days is docks, especially on certain types of country. “Anywhere with high rainfall, reasonably high stocking rates and recent soils, like productive river flats, docks seem to be taking hold. I’m seeing more every year. They’re becoming a huge issue down here,” he says. One dock plant can produce up to 40,000 seeds every year, and these can remain viable in the soil for several years, creating a heavy seed burden. Paul says all it takes is a significant weather event to open pastures up, and another generation of this big perennial weed is away laughing. “As soon as the sward is opened up, and light can reach the ground, if seed is present it will germinate, and thrive.” More efficient grazing management, focused on making best use of all grass grown on the farm, has seen stocking rates increase over the years, Paul says, and that’s helped create an environment that suits docks if they get a chance to become established. Broad, flat leaves, up to 35 cm long and 15 cm wide, make the weed particularly effective at reducing pasture quality. Docks also compete well with other pasture species. Fortunately, proven herbicide control options are available from Advance Agriculture. Where docks are the main weed species present, farmers can use Dockstar® alone. Where other broad leaf weeds need to be controlled, Dockstar can be combined with Baton® 800WSG. Both herbicides are from Nufarm. Dockstar contains 390g/L asulam as a soluble concentrate (SC), providing an easy to use liquid formulation. Paul Addison, Nufarm technical specialist, says for best results Dockstar should be applied in early spring, prior to emergence of the dock’s flowering stem. Published research indicates that while some suppression of pasture growth after Dockstar application occurs, losses in pasture dry matter are lower than those incurred with the use of traditional thifensulfuron-methyl formulations which to date have been one of the most popular dock herbicides. In paddocks where control of other broadleaf weeds as well as dock is required, farmers can now apply a tank mix, using a lower rate of Dockstar (2 litres/ha), with Baton 800WSG herbicide at 2 kg/ha. This combination will provide good control of dock and many other broadleaf weeds with less pasture suppression than Dockstar alone at the full label rate. For best results with the Dockstar/Baton 800WSG tank mix, leave pasture for 2-3 weeks after grazing before spraying; apply before dock seed heads have emerged; do not add any adjuvants or other products; and leave the pasture for at least 1-2 weeks after spraying before grazing. ®Baton and Dockstar are registered trademarks of Nufarm Limited
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