(Active substances: glufosinate-ammonium)

Harvest is a dual-purpose product providing you with two important actions in one treatment. As well as delivering contact control of grass and broad-leaved weeds pre-emergence of the potato crop, it also provides desiccation pre-harvest.

Why Harvest?

Harvest provides you with broad spectrum control of all the main broad-leaved and grass-weeds in the potato crop. Broad-leaved weeds include black-bindweed, charlock, poppy, cleavers, crane’s-bill and groundsel.  Grass-weeds controlled include annual meadow-grass black-grass, Italian rye-grass, sterile brome, volunteer cereals and wild oats.

It is also a highly effective desiccant and can be used in sequence with other desiccants or after flailing. This gives you a controlled burn-down, making harvesting easier and protecting the tuber.

Main advantages

For weed control

• Safe and reliable weed control
• Broad-spectrum control of all the main arable broad-leaved and grass-weeds
• Class-leading control of grass-weeds including annual meadow-grass, black-grass and wild oats
• Flexible tank-mix options to add residual control
• Harvest can be used on all soil types and varieties

For desiccation

• The flexible component for any desiccation programme
• A single application is often sufficient for full defoliation of determinate varieties (e.g. Estima) within 2-3 weeks
• In two-spray sequences Harvest can be used either at T1 to open the canopy of naturally senescing crops, or at T2 to complete burn-down
• Harvest can be used with the ‘flail & spray’ technique on all crop types, including seed and salad potatoes

Getting the best from Harvest

For weed control

Because Harvest controls emerged annual grass and broad-leaved weeds by contact action, speed of activity is influenced by weather and plant growth conditions. Activity is quickest under bright, warm conditions when target weeds are actively growing. Under optimum growing conditions, initial effects are seen as yellowing within two to three days and kill is usually complete within 10-14 days. Although speed of activity may be affected during less favourable growing conditions (cold/dry), efficacy is unaltered.

Key considerations in choosing the most appropriate application rate are weed spectrum, weed growth stage and whether or not Harvest is to be co-applied with a residual partner.

Use 2 L/ha for contact weed control in typical annual meadow-grass and broad-leaved weed situations, or when tank-mixing with a residual partner. Use 3 L/ha for full spectrum contact control of annual grass and broad-leaved weeds, or for contact control of annual grass-weeds that have reached four leaves.

Harvest should be applied pre-emergence of the crop, when weeds have at least two expanded leaves and are actively growing. The leaves should be dry, ideally in the middle of the day, in 200 – 300 L/ha with conventional flat fan nozzles as a medium quality spray. Use the higher volume where target weeds are large or populations are dense.

For desiccation

Harvest can be used with either of the two conventional desiccation techniques: overall application to the haulm, referred to as ‘desiccation spraying’, or by application to stems after removal of haulm by flailing, referred to as ‘flail and spray’.

For desiccation spraying of ware crops only, apply after the onset of senescence, 14-21 days before harvest. Flail and spray can be used on ware and seed crops after flailing, preferably within 24 hours to prevent re-growth.

For best results maintain a full fungicide programme until desiccation is complete to prevent tuber blight. Allow skins to set if tubers are to be stored and ensure dry, well-ventilated conditions when in store. If you are planning to retain seed from a ware crop, treat the crop as seed.  If re-growth occurs after application and a further desiccation spray is required, switch to an alternative product.

For best results apply Harvest to a dry leaf in bright sunny conditions and in 200 - 300 L/ha with conventional flat fan nozzles as a medium quality spray. Use the higher volume when desiccating dense crops. With ‘flail and spray’ apply to stems of approx 15-20 cm, no later than seven days before harvesting the crop.

Important things to remember

For weed control

• Don’t apply Harvest if the crop is emerging or the soil is lifting or cracked
• Avoid spray drift onto neighbouring crops
• Don’t cultivate after spraying as this can encourage further weed germination

For desiccation

• Avoid spray drift onto neighbouring crops
• Don’t use on the Kerr’s Pink variety
• Don’t spray if rain is imminent or likely within six hours of application
• Don’t apply to wet foliage
• Avoid applying under exceptionally wet weather conditions (more than 40mm rain within five days prior to desiccation), when the soil is saturated

Harvest as part of a programme

Harvest can be used in conjunction with Artist (flufenacet and metribuzin) to provide residual as well as contact control.

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