Bayer reinforces the importance of weed management in sugarcane pre-emergence

Brachiaria grass (Brachiaria decumbens), Colony grass (Panicum maximum) and Grass mattress (Digitaria horizontalis) are some examples of weeds with narrow and broad leaves that proliferate in Brazilian sugarcane fields. According to Caio Antonio Carbonari, professor at the Department of Plant Protection at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at UNESP, with the harvest still in its initial phase, weed competition can lead to significant losses in the profitability of cultivation. “The longer the coexistence, the greater the impact caused, especially in the first 90 days of the sugarcane cycle”, he highlights.

To prevent the spread of these invaders and avoid economic damage, the producer cannot neglect the planning and management of herbicide cultural treatments. “Knowing the history of weed occurrence is the basic premise before applying any solution to sugarcane. It is necessary to identify which species are present, the type of soil, the best positioning and, therefore, the best application technology for control to be effective”, reinforces Carbonari. “ In the Central-South sugarcane region, for example, which has different climate dispersions, it is important to combat weedy plants, sometimes already established, and at the same time manage the seed bank so that cycles of reinfestation and damage to crops be reduced”, he concludes.

The specialist's recommendation is to stagger the use of herbicides throughout the harvest. “Between May and September, we have a long dry period in the central-south sugarcane region. Even at this time, that is, in the period best known as dry ratoon, it is important to control weeds in sugarcane fields to have better management of herbicide crop treatments throughout the entire cycle,” he explains. The ideal is to apply pre-emergent agricultural pesticides with prolonged control. “This means that the product can remain in the soil, on average, for 120 to 180 days, which is essential for controlling weed competition”, reinforces Caio.

In addition to helping with crop planning, the use of active herbicides with prolonged control, in the dry season, presents a series of advantages: the non-accumulation of areas for application in the rainy season, the reduction of the need for reapplications (transfers) and the optimization of personnel and machinery.

Expanding the protection of sugarcane fields

Since 2019, Bayer has had Provence Total in its portfolio, a herbicide with different mechanisms of action, which allows the control of both broad-leaved and narrow-leaved weeds and can be applied to dry, semi-dry and semi-dry ratoon sugarcane. -moist. This is possible due to the presence of two active ingredients - Alion (Indaziflam) and Provence (Isoxaflutole) - which give versatility to the agricultural pesticide.