Infinity Ultra now controls a host of additional weeds, including challenging weeds like flaxleaf fleabane, matricaria and Indian hedge mustard.
It is also Bayer’s first herbicide to be registered for use with optical spot spraying technology (OSST) to target sowthistle on fallows.
Infinity Ultra comprises a complementary co-formulation of Groups 27 and 12 herbicides, pyrasulfotole and diflufenican.
It has shown strong uptake by growers due to its comparable effectiveness with other standards, versatile use in tank mixes and ability to be safely applied from the two-leaf crop stage, especially in oats.
In recent seasons, Bayer technical solutions agronomist in northern NSW and Queensland, Richard Jackman, has coordinated a number of Infinity Ultra OSST development trials at multiple sites from near Narrabri in NSW through to Toowoomba in Queensland.
The trials featured the use of SenseSpray OSST to apply Infinity Ultra with Roundup UltraMax at a range of rates to assess its efficacy on sowthistle at stem elongation, prior to flowering.
Richard says the recommended rate of 240mL of Infinity Ultra plus 3 L of Roundup UltraMax per 150L of water, with 0.5 per cent Hasten, which can be applied to a maximum of 40 per cent of the total area, proved highly effective.
“We applied it alongside label rates of industry standard OSST herbicides, including glyphosate and 2,4-D, and it was the superior treatment,” Richard says.
“Instead of a typical two-pass spot spray strategy of Roundup or 2,4-D followed by Gramoxone, growers will now be able to achieve full control of sowthistle in one pass using Infinity Ultra,” he says.
“They will use a higher Infinity Ultra rate by spot spraying, but they will achieve the control plus application savings, also without otherwise having to ‘double knock’ or use more expensive herbicides over the whole area.”
He says the latest additions to the Infinity Ultra label also included approval of a higher use rate (170 mL/ha) against wild radish, as well as control of stone crop, marshmallow, medic, and volunteer canola in cereals.
“It’s highly effective against Roundup Ready-tolerant, triazine-tolerant, Clearfield-tolerant and glufosinate-tolerant volunteer canola up to six-leaf.”
In WA, Bayer technical solutions agronomist Matt Willis says the additional control of matricaria by Infinity Ultra would be welcomed by cereal growers from the eastern wheatbelt through to the State’s south-eastern region.
Matt says matricaria is a prolific seed producer and, due to limited herbicide options for control, it has become more prevalent and concerning in the past decade.
He says a number of development trials during recent seasons in the eastern wheatbelt, applying Infinity Ultra to matricaria populations at label rates, has resulted in near 100 per cent control of the challenging weed.
Matt says the new maximum label rate of 170 mL/ha for control of wild radish also will aid its management in WA’s northern agricultural region.
