“WITH the cold weather we have been experiencing this spring, many grass paddocks are seeing many weeds emerge now. Spraying weed-infested paddocks with Envy over the coming weeks will pay handsomely and will ensure more nutritious and more productive grazing swards,” said Chris Maughan, technical manager with Whelehan Crop Protection which distributes the product on the Irish market.

“Because Envy poses no risks with residues in manure, it is ideally suited to horse paddocks. This is why it is rapidly becoming the herbicide of choice on equine farms,” added Chris.

He says that best control is achieved by spraying before weeds reach the flowering stage.

Where weeds are beyond these stages, his advice is to top the paddock when conditions are suitable and apply Envy after around three weeks’ regrowth when the weeds have regrown to the ideal stage for an effective kill.

“It should be applied at two litres/ha in a minimum of 200 litres of water. A huge advantage is that Envy can be applied up to the end of November. This makes it especially suited to pastures reseeded in the autumn.

Hay and haylage fields

Envy is also ideal for hay and silage/haylage swards. Spraying before silage or hay is cut is by far the best option. This eliminates the weed from the bales where they can affect the preservation of the silage/haylage bales.

“Where weeds are a problem in silage or hay swards, the ideal time to spray them is two to four weeks after fertiliser is applied.

“Weeds should then be actively growing and be at the right stage for an effective kill. It is important to leave an interval of at least three weeks between spraying and cutting the crop as this allows time for the sprays to kill out the root of the weed and totally decay away,” Chris concludes.