Hutchinsons is reminding growers with late-sown cereals of the importance of sowing dates, which determines the plant protection products that can be applied this spring.
Winter cereals are being defined by HSE’s Chemical Regulations Divisions (CRD) as being sown on or before 31 January, with any cereal drilled after that date legally being classed as spring cereal.
Hutchinsons technical support manager, Duncan Connabeer, adds: “Although sowing date doesn’t change the genetic traits of a winter or spring variety, these drilling date definitions do have important implications for the herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and growth regulators that can be legally applied on those crops.”
Additionally, “When winter cereals are sown after the end of January, they can only be treated with products approved in spring cereals.”
Duncan warns, that although winter cereal protection products can legally be used on spring cereals when they are sown before the end of January, such use may not be supported by product manufacturers or agronomists.
Growers must check product labels carefully and discuss options with their agronomists as there can be an increased risk of crop damage from using chemistry on winter cereals dilled in the spring, or spring cereals sown in autumn.
