Grazon Pro is a broad spectrum herbicide, proven highly successful on grassland weeds, that has been tried and tested over the last number of years by Irish farmers.

Manufactured by Corteva Agriscience and distributed on the Irish market by Whelehan Crop Protection, it contains two powerful root killing ingredients, triclopyr and clopyralid.

According to Chris Maughan, technical manager with Whelehan Crop Protection, Grazon Pro is the market leader when it comes to spot treatment.

“Grazon Pro is fast acting, offers high levels of long-term control and is excellent value for money. As well as nettles, thistles, docks and briars, it is also highly effective on buttercups, gorse, cow parsley and hogweed, ” said Chris.

In the video below, Chris Maughan outlines how to get the most from your application of Grazon Pro.

Grazon Pro should be applied at a rate of 60ml in 10 l of water using a conventional knapsack sprayer, a quadbike sprayer or a suitable lance on a tractor mounted sprayer.

“It is one of very few products with a label which fully endorses the use of handheld application equipment. It comes in a 1l pack which contains enough to treat 11 15l knapsacks,” added Chris.

Timing is also important when applying Grazon Pro, advised Chris.

“While weeds are more difficult to kill when they are in flower, Grazon Pro still has good activity on large weeds, however it may take longer to kill them,” he said.

For best control, the weeds should be sprayed before the flowering stage and it is advised to keep animals off treated areas for seven days after application.

Grazon Pro gives excellent control of weeds such as nettles at fences and field boundaries.

Autumn control of thistles

Where thistles were not controlled earlier in the season, there is an opportunity to treat them with a late-August/September application of Thistlex, the specialist thistle herbicide.

Another Corteva Agriscience herbicide, it contains the active ingredients triclopyr and clopyralid, which are absorbed right down to the roots of the thistles.

Thistles are unpalatable to animals and they usually leave 30cm ungrazed around each thistle plant. This is approximately 50 thistles per 20 square metres, which is all too common in thistle-infested swards and can mean a drop of 50% in grass dry matter yield.

For best control, thistles should be actively growing, have four to 10 leaves, be 15-25cm high and treatment should be applied before a seedhead appears.

Thistle-infested swards that were recently cut or topped should now be at the right stage for effective treatment with Thistlex.

Apply Thistlex at 1l/la in a minimum of 200l water and keep animals off grass for seven days after spraying. Thistlex gives up to 85% control for 12 months after application.

Thistlex is a very effective translocated product for both creeping and spear thistles and it is very safe to grass.

Control docks in aftergrass with Doxstar Pro

There is still plenty of time to control docks in grazing pastures and have a clean, productive sward for the remainder of the grazing season and for next year and beyond.

When it comes to choosing a herbicide, nothing can beat the specialist product Doxstar Pro.

Containing two chemicals, triclopyr and fluroxypyr, it ensures the most effective kill of the dock root system. It is also highly effective on chickweed and dandelions. And unlike dicamba-based products, there is no effect on grass growth.

For best long-term control with Doxstar Pro, docks should be actively growing and be 15-25cm high or across.

Pastures that were cut for silage or dock-infested grazing pastures that were recently topped should now be at the right stage for effective treatment with Doxstar Pro.

As with all systemic herbicides, keep animals off pasture for seven days after spraying.

For more information on the wide range of grassland weed solutions from Whelehan Crop Protection, click HERE.