Weeds can be incredibly costly and stressful to control. However, Lewis Blois, national account manager at Bayer, recommends that this stress can be alleviated, and weeds can be prevented from developing, with an integrated control programme that focuses on pre-emergence weed control. 

Lewis Blois, national account manager at Bayer

“The key to efficiently tackling weeds is to target them early, as overgrown weeds are much harder to knock down,” says Lewis 

“By using a pre-emergence residual herbicide such as Valdor® Flex, a broad spectrum of weeds can be controlled effectively, for up to four months, with some users reporting over 5 months control,” says Lewis.

“Applications of pre-emergence herbicides should be made as soon as possible, in the early spring when temperatures start to rise but this timing can vary regionally,” advises Lewis.

He adds that Valdor® Flex should be mixed with water and applied all year round but only one application per site should be made per year.

Pre-emergence weed control

“Reading the label is essential to get the best results, as this will advise on the target weeds, application timing and treatment rate,” explains Lewis.
“It is also very important to think about resistance management, which is becoming an issue due to the repeated use of active ingredients from the same herbicide group,” says Lewis. 

Valdor® Flex contains the active ingredients iodosulfuron and diflufenican which are from different active groups. This is important for weed resistance management and will help to break the cycle of using the same active ingredient for residual weed control. 

Valdor Flex

“With pre-emergence herbicides, a reduced amount of chemical input will be needed  throughout the entire growing season  compared to only treating weeds once they have emerged,” says Lewis. 

As well as herbicides, pre-emergence cultural controls should be considered in the early spring. “While they’re not always successful at offering long lasting control compared to residual herbicides, they contribute to the activity of chemical controls.

“Weeds can be incredibly frustrating to control, but pre-emergence herbicides can provide a reliable solution to the issue and deliver efficient control of weeds,” Lewis adds.