More than 300 farmers from across Australia have shared their thoughts on using Callisto® pre-emergent herbicide, giving other cereal growers some points to weigh up in their own weed management programs.
Image shows the signature bleaching of a broadleaf weed having used Callisto® pre-emergent herbicide.
Callisto® was launched to support farmers with the management of hard-to-control broadleaf weeds in the pre-emergent window, usually when mixed with grass weed pre-emergents such as Boxer Gold®.
Five years later, Callisto® has found a welcome fit within many wheat, barley, oat and triticale programs, following widespread adoption and confidence with the technology. Having heard many positives from the field, it was evident that growers across the country were experiencing benefits far beyond the management of broadleaf weeds with Callisto®.
To create the definitive list of use cases, Syngenta recently invited farmers to describe which of the numerous benefits offered their enterprises the most value, for their chance to win one of three tool kits.
“We were blown away by the response,” Syngenta Product Lead Owen Langley said.
“We had a really hard time settling on three recipients for the Kincrome and Milwaukee tool kits.
“By sharing their experiences, other farmers can now look at their own weed management programs and talk to their agronomists about their needs.”
Here are the six use cases for Callisto® herbicide in Australian cereal crops.
- Residual activity: Up to 12-week residual activity is highly valued across all states.
- Resistance management: Many respondents appreciate Callisto® as a tool for managing herbicide-resistant weeds (Group 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 12 resistance).
- Flexibility: The ability to use Callisto® in various crops – from wheat to barley, oats and triticale – combined with application timing flexibility, was considered a big plus. While offering an application rate range.
- Time and cost efficiency: Many value the potential to reduce the number of spray passes needed.
- Early weed control: Removing early competition from hard to manage broadleaves, volunteer canola and pulses is seen as a significant benefit across states.
- Compatibility: The ability to mix Callisto® with other herbicides to cover both broadleaf and grass weeds early on, was frequently mentioned.
And the tool kit winners? Here are their thoughts:
“Dropping out Diuron*, the residual 8 to 12 weeks with Callisto® has been awesome as busy mixed farmers, having longer to apply an in-crop herbicide.” – Ben Creek, Mayanup, WA
“The early control of self-sown pulses and broadleaves allows more time to come back post-emergent, which is very valuable when planting a larger program.” - Joel Nield, Cleve, SA
“The extended control of broadleaves in our cereals allows us more time to get other in-crop spraying done on time. Fantastic results on volunteer legumes.” – Colin Gilmour, Donald, Vic
This article was written by Syngenta for Seasons magazine.
Disclaimer - important, please read:
The information contained in this article is given for general information purposes only, current at the time of first publication, and does not constitute professional advice. The article has been independently created by a human author using some degree of creativity through consultation with various third-party sources. Third party information has been sourced from means which Elders consider to be reliable. However, Elders has not independently verified the information and cannot guarantee its accuracy. Links or references to third party sources are provided for convenience only and do not constitute endorsement of material by third parties or any associated product or service offering. While Elders has exercised reasonable care, skill and diligence in preparation of this article, many factors including environmental/seasonal factors and market conditions can impact its accuracy and currency. The information should not be relied upon under any circumstances and, to the extent permitted by law, Elders disclaim liability for any loss or damage arising out of any reliance upon the information contained in this article. If you would like to speak to someone for tailored advice specific to your circumstances relating to any of the matters referred to in this article, please contact Elders.
