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Alternative break crops for UK production - by Alex Cook, AHDB Market Analyst 

Break crops form an integral part of conventional crop rotations, and so an increase in alternatives from OSR is occurring. Information from Premium Crops and Soya-UK has enabled a domestic picture to be built around these crops, given the lesser data coverage by Defra.

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Controlling weeds in winter and spring linseed will now be much easier with the approval of an Extension of Authorisation for Minor Use (EAMU) registration for the maize herbicide Basilico.

Manufactured by off-patent manufacturers Life Scientific, Basilico contains 100 g/l mesotrione and is reverse engineered from the reference product, Callisto.

Previously used as a post emergence herbicide in crops of grain and forage maize to control annual broad-leaved weeds. Basilico’s new EAMU allows the product to be used on both winter and spring linseed as a pre emergence treatment. The maximum rate of use is 1.5 l/ha.

“The area of linseed is increasing in the UK as growers look for alternative break crops to oilseed rape, so it’s great news to be able to offer an additional herbicide option for this crop,” says Ruth Stanley, Life Scientific’s country manager.

“We have worked closely with Linseed specialist, Premium Crops, who have helped us with the EAMU submission.”

“Basilico offers good control of difficult weeds such as polygonums and fat hen, and is our preferred herbicide option,” says Hannah Foxall, Premium Crops linseed agronomist. 

“Its important to recognize that the best results come from applications to moist soils immediately after drilling and rolling. Using Basilico often removes the need for further post-emergence herbicides.”

The EAMU can be downloaded from the CRD website or https://lifescientific.com/wp-content/uploads/Basilico-Linseed.pdf