United Kingdom
April 30, 2013
Winter cereal growers looking into the cost versus return of controlling problem weeds this spring can access a handy weed yield loss calculator.
The calculator has been recently-launched via the Syngenta UK website – www.syngenta.co.uk.
The calculator has been designed to give a guide to the financial losses caused by key weed species, says Syngenta field technical manager, Iain Hamilton. This is based on growers inputting their expected yield and wheat price, the number of hectares being grown, and whether they have a low, medium or high weed population, he explains.
By using the calculator, it gives growers an opportunity to compare the potential financial loss from a weed problem against the cost of controlling it,” says Mr Hamilton.
"Taking wild oats as an example, which could be problematical this spring after the cold winter, the calculator shows that even a medium population of 10 wild oats per metre squared in a 40 hectare crop with a yield of 8t/ha, and at a £180/t wheat price, could cause a loss over £115 per hectare. That equates to a potential loss of £4,600 over the whole 40 hectares.
"This lost crop value is much higher than the cost of herbicide treatment with Axial, which is a popular choice for wild oat control.
"Also, as grain price increases, or when you include a second weed in the calculator – for example rye-grass which Axial also controls – then the value of the yield loss from the weed problem increases. So the benefit of control could start to look even more attractive, depending on herbicide usage,” he says.
The website address of Syngenta in the UK has recently changed to www.syngenta.co.uk from the previous address, points out Mr Hamilton. The weed yield loss calculator can be found in the Agronomy Tools section and has over 20 weed species for growers to choose from, he says.
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