2014 R&D Results Compendium
Sakura® 850 WG herbicide for grass weed control
in water repellent soil
Rob Griffith, Bayer
Peer Review: Geoff Robertson and David Gregor, Bayer CropScience
Why the trials were undertaken
Grass weed management in wheat is becoming increasingly difficult. Pre-emergent
herbicide performance is further challenged by water repellent (non-wetting)
sand.
Background
Grass weeds are becoming incrementally harder to control as post emergent herbicide resistant weed
populations evolve in the Mallee. Three seasons of trials on a water repellent soil at Lowaldie, SA
evaluated pre-emergent herbicide use in wheat, including Sakura, to take the pressure off postemergent options. Field trials in the Mallee have indicated pre-emergent herbicides can give variable
control. The pre-emergent herbicide Sakura has excellent activity on a range of problem grass weeds
including barley grass, annual ryegrass and suppression of brome grass. The level of weed control of
Sakura is influenced by moisture before and after sowing. Water repellent soil adds another
complicating factor, particularly if the soil is moist at sowing and rainfall following seeding does not
move the herbicide to where weed seeds are germinating.
Trial Details
Target weed
Sowing
equipment
Crop/variety
Ground cover
Spray timing
2012
31/05/12
2013
28/05/13
2014
15/05/14
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Crop / Target
Brome grass (Bromus diandrus)
Knife point + press wheel
Application
Pre-emergent
65 L/ha (coarse droplet)
Timing
Water volume
Wheat, Kord (2012 & 2013)
Corrack 2014 (70 kg/ha)
50% stubble
Time
Temp
RH %
o
0930-1030
16 C
67%
Brome grass
2012: 612, 2013: 114,
2
density /m
2014: 28
Soil moisture
2012 & 2014 moist, 2013 dry
Cloud cover
Wind
Soil moisture
0%
5-10 km/h NE
moist
0845-1000
11.5oC
88%
10%
5-8 km/h NE
dry
1530-1600
24.5oC
44%
10%
16 km/h N
dry surface
2014 R&D Results Compendium
% brome grass
control
Key Messages
Pre-emergent grass weed control alone was highest when the herbicide was applied and incorporated
by sowing to dry soil prior to the season-breaking rainfall event in 2013. The sowing operations that
occurred after rainfall in 2012 and 2014 were more variable as the weed seeds did not come into
contact with the herbicide until after germinating.
Adding a tank mixture partner such as trifluralin may improve weed control where moisture is
marginal after application and sowing. The highest levels of brome and annual ryegrass control were
achieved where a pre-emergent herbicide supported a post emergent herbicide.
100
50
0
Sakura 118 g/ha
Sakura 118 g/ha + Sakura 118 g/ha + Sakura 118 g/ha fb
Avadex® Xtra 1.6 TriflurX® 1.5 L/ha
Atlantis® 330
L/ha
mL/ha
2012
2013
2014
TriflurX 1.5 L/ha
Avadex Xtra 1.6
L/ha
* Percentage control based on plant numbers. Sakura followed by (fb) Atlantis was not trialled in 2012.
Atlantis® is a Registered Trademark of the Bayer Group
Sakura® is a Registered Trademark of Kumiai Chemical Industry Co. Ltd.
Acknowledgements
Peter & Hannah Loller (cooperating farmers), Bill Davoren CSIRO (site management)
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