Image: Barley Australia

TIMELY approval has been granted by Australia’s farm chemicals regulator for a specific herbicide use on mature crops of feed barley as an aid to harvest.

Clearance sought by Grain Producers Australia (GPA) for variation of label permit was granted yesterday afternoon by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).

Approval was granted, under strict conditions, for two products manufactured by Nufarm (listed below)

“Weed control is a serious issue for Australian grain growers, with herbicide resistance reducing the available options – the very best time to stop weeds is before they get started, so spray topping late season weeds, particularly ryegrass, before they set seed is a major benefit for subsequent crops,” GPA chair Andrew Wiedemann said.

“We simply have to have the right tools available for this job in barley and that means glyphosate, which is already registered for crop topping in Australia on various pulses, canola, wheat and sorghum.  It is also registered for barley in the EU and North America, so the practice is well established.”

Welcoming the APVMA’s approval, Mr Weidemann said GPA will immediately, in conjunction with the regulator, be able to provide updated label details to give growers certainty in pre-harvest application.

Perfect timing

Timing is just about perfect for the majority of barley growing areas in Australia where the weed burden is likely to be a problem.

Agronomist Zack Zweck from AW Vater on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, said the approval has come just in time for many SA growers.

Another agricultural supply merchant in Victoria’s Wimmera welcomed this clearance in dealing with late season growth in heavy barley crops which had lodged.

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Growers will have enough time to use this product to assist their harvest, while complying with label requirements (at least 7 days between application and harvest).  Growers will expect that buyers will require vendor declarations about in-crop chemical use.

Western Australian central and southern zones feed barley growers’ weed control efforts will also be aided by the approval.

The approval is for feed barley crops

Barley Australia had previously expressed reservations about late crop herbicide applications on barley.

In a recent statement it said it had been advised major brewers would not knowingly purchase malt made from barley that had been crop-topped with glyphosate.

Barley Australia said it supported scientific review on the impact of glyphosate on barley at all stages, advising meantime that 2016 receivals may be subject to more rigorous testing of barley delivered into storages.

The products

The permit is in force from 2 November 2016 to 31 July 2019, for the purpose of pre-harvest application as a harvest aid and for spray-topping of annual grass weeds in crop.

For full details and application rates, read the label.

NUFARM WEEDMASTER DST DUAL SALT TECHNOLOGY HERBICIDE Containing: 470 g/L GLYPHOSATE present as the POTASSIUM and MONO-AMMONIUM SALTS as the only active constituent.

NUFARM WEEDMASTER ARGO DUAL SALT TECHNOLOGY HERBICIDE Containing: 540 g/L GLYPHOSATE present as the ISOPROPYLAMINE and POTASSIUM SALTS as the only active constituent.

Further information

APVMA Permit number – PER82594 For pre-harvest desiccation and spray topping of weeds in specified barley (except malting barley). This permit is in force from 2 November 2016 to 31 July 2019.  Permit holder – Grain Producers Australia Limited. 
Link here, http://permits.apvma.gov.au/PER82594.PDF