BASF: ‘Big Year’ for PGRs Expected
4 March 2014 A leading agronomist is anticipating a big year this year for plant growth regulators (PGRs) in cereals as the mild winter has allowed both wheat and barley to continue growing, and many crops will need careful managing to reach their full potential, BASF said.
According to BASF, Craig Herkes of Agrii reports that crops in the North are well advanced but the mild weather conditions and high soil temperatures have brought significant disease problems as well as crop management problems.
“It is a complete transformation from last year. This season crops were well established and are well rooted, but there is a need for an early fungicide and a PGR as crops have continued growing through the winter. By the looks of it, it will be a big year for PGRs. Crops, particularly winter barley, need evening out and tillers managed through reducing apical dominance. In wheat we may need to hold back on nitrogen and use PGRs to help rooting further and even out tillering,” Herkes said.
Hrekes named BASF’s Canopy as a strong solution. “Canopy has been on the market for a few years but is still regarded as one of the newer products. And it is different to others in many respects. Firstly it can be used early or late. This year there will be a need for an early application to encourage the crop to root and to even up tillering. Also Canopy’s PGR effects appear to last for longer and it acts straight away. Chlormequat, for instance, shortens the crop but takes its time to work and then crops appears to bounce back quickly. Canopy’s effects are longer lasting. One important practical distinction is that Canopy is more dependable across a range of temperatures.”
Having used this PGR in winter wheat and winter barley, he is looking forward to using it in spring barley, rye and particularly oats, BASF said. “Spring barley and oats have had a shortage of growth regulators. In oats those that are available have timing restrictions or are simply not allowed according to the processors’ contract. Most buyers of oats are not happy with chlormequat, especially when applied late. They just won’t accept residues of any sort. Many now specify ‘no chlormequat’ in their contracts. So we need to change and having a non-chlormequat PGR that has a flexible application timing, whatever the temperature, is very useful.”
In spring barley PGRs are being used more and more and it is handy to have another PGR to use in this slot, Herkes said. “You need to be careful in spring barley especially if the crop is stressed. Ethephon materials can’t be used early as they are all about shortening. Often spring barley growth regulation is more about reducing apical dominance and evening out the crop canopy.”
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