|
October edition highlights:
|
- Corteva Agriscience - focused, innovation-led, global crop protection leader
- Maximising autumn weed control in winter oilseed rape
- Keeping on top of ryegrass, bromes and oats in cereals
- Groundsel control: are you acting early enough?
- Protecting your nitrogen investment this autumn
- Ympact®: helping crops get ahead this autumn
- Giving autumn crops the best possible start
- News and views from the Corteva Team
- Make the most of Corteva's free agronomy apps
- BASIS and NRoSO points
|
|
|
Corteva Agriscience - focused, innovation-led, global crop protection leader
On 1st October 2026, Corteva officially began its next chapter as a standalone crop protection company. This new chapter reflects our commitment to helping growers succeed through focused innovation, deep agronomic expertise and strong customer partnerships.
While our company structure has evolved, our commitment to you has not changed. You can continue to expect the leading products, technical expertise, service and support from the Corteva team you know and trust. Most importantly, your existing points of contact remain unchanged, and your day-to-day relationship with Corteva continues as usual.
We are excited about the opportunities ahead and remain committed to delivering solutions that help protect crop performance and support profitable farming businesses.
Our Global Announcement can be viewed here.
|
|
|
Maximising autumn weed control in winter oilseed rape
We have now had some much-needed rain across the majority of the country which will have benefited WOSR crops. Conditions remain warm, which will continue to encourage weed growth.
As weeds increase in size, control becomes more challenging, so where appropriate, consider stepping up herbicide rates to maintain a robust level of control. For broad-leaved weed control, Belkar® can be used at 0.5 l/ha once crops have reached GS16, widening both the size range and spectrum of weeds controlled.
With clethodim applications nearing completion, it's important to start thinking about how to get the best from propyzamide and ensure a robust programme approach for difficult-to-control weeds such as black-grass and ryegrass.
|
Watch our latest video to hear more:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Keeping on top of ryegrass, bromes and oats in cereals
An effective autumn cereal herbicide programme doesn’t finish once the pre-emergence stack has been applied. It should start with understanding the target grass weeds and building a robust residual foundation, followed by well-timed top-up and contact applications. This is particularly important this season, with significantly dry soils potentially challenging residual performance and grass weeds often showing prolonged emergence.
Italian ryegrass, bromes and tame oats are key grass weeds that can justify an autumn application of Broadway® Star. Early removal of these competitive weeds is important, targeting them while they are still small rather than allowing populations to develop into the spring.
Broadway Star, applied alongside residual top-ups, provides a valuable autumn contact option, with pyroxsulam delivering strong activity on emerged Italian ryegrass, bromes and oats. For best results, target small, actively growing weeds under good application conditions. Italian ryegrass and bromes should ideally be treated around the 1-3 leaf stage, while tame oats should be controlled in the autumn, ideally at GS11–24, using Broadway Star at 265 g/ha plus adjuvant.
The aim is to build a strong residual foundation, maintain it with well-timed top ups and use Broadway Star early where target grass weeds have emerged, targeting small, actively growing weeds to achieve the best results.
|
|
|
|
Groundsel control: are you acting early enough?
Broad-leaved weeds are already emerging in crops this autumn as residual herbicides begin to run out of steam.
Among them is groundsel, a weed that can quickly become a problem if not controlled effectively. Fast growing and capable of completing its lifecycle in just 18 days under optimal conditions, groundsel can germinate year-round and remains a persistent challenge in cereals, with successive generations emerging throughout the season.
|
Its three main growth stages of note are:
• Germination and rosette formation.
• Stem elongation and bud development.
• Flowering and seed production.
|
Herbicide performance declines as groundsel matures through these stages, making early treatment, ideally up to the rosette stage, critical. This growth stage is most commonly encountered during the autumn period.
Spitfire® is a post-emergence herbicide containing a unique formulation of florasulam and fluroxypyr.
Recent studies have shown that Spitfire, combined with an MSO adjuvant and applied in the autumn at 0.75 l/ha, delivered excellent levels of groundsel control. After 1st February, the higher rate of 1.0 l/ha may be applied.
Groundsel’s thick leaf wax and shiny surface can significantly impede spray coverage and herbicide penetration. Corteva studies have shown that adding an MSO adjuvant to Spitfire improves spray coverage and absorption, resulting in improved herbicide performance against this problem weed.
Other weeds emerging this autumn include poppy, phacelia, cleavers, volunteer beans and volunteer OSR. Spitfire controls these too and can be tank mixed with residual top-ups, micronutrients or insecticides, helping to reduce the need for additional passes.
For best control, target weeds while they are small and actively growing, under good application conditions.
|
|
For the latest tank mix options, visit the Corteva website here.
|
|
|
Protecting your nitrogen investment this autumn
Nitrogen remains one of the largest input costs on farm, making every kilogram applied increasingly valuable. While attention often focuses on spring fertiliser applications, autumn-applied nitrogen can also be vulnerable to loss before crops have the opportunity to utilise it.
Following a dry summer there may also be significant amounts of residual nitrogen in the soil which is worth keeping hold of for the autumn crop going in the ground.
Instinct® helps protect ammonium nitrogen in the soil by slowing the conversion to nitrate, reducing the risk of losses and helping retain nitrogen within the root zone for longer.
Why nitrogen retention matters:
Unpredictable weather patterns continue to increase the risk of nitrogen loss through leaching and denitrification. Once nitrogen is lost from the rooting zone, it cannot contribute to crop growth or yield potential.
Whether soils are experiencing extended periods of rainfall or fluctuating temperatures, protecting nitrogen has become an important part of nutrient management.
Instinct provides growers with an additional management tool to help ensure valuable nitrogen remains available when crops need it most.
Good for the crop, good for the environment:
Protecting nitrogen is not only about maximising crop performance. Reducing nitrogen losses can also help minimise nitrate movement through the soil profile and reduce emissions and leaching associated with nitrogen loss pathways.
Instinct helps protect valuable nitrogen, keeping it available for longer and helping maximise the return on every kilogram applied.
|
|
|
Ympact®: helping crops get ahead this autumn
Autumn establishment remains one of the most important drivers of crop performance and profitability. With drilling conditions varying from field to field and weather patterns becoming increasingly unpredictable, growers need every seed to deliver its full potential.
Ympact is designed to support the crop during the critical establishment phase by promoting strong early root development and helping create a more resilient plant from day one.
Why establishment matters more than ever:
The last few seasons have demonstrated how quickly conditions can change. Wet seedbeds, dry spells after drilling, fluctuating soil temperatures and variable emergence all place pressure on young crops.
Ympact works alongside good agronomy and drilling practice to support establishment. Whilst it cannot replace favourable weather, it can help growers maximise the performance of every seed planted.
|
Key benefits include:
• Enhanced root growth and rooting depth.
• Improved early vigour.
• Better crop uniformity.
• Stronger establishment under variable conditions.
• Increased confidence in challenging seasons.
|
For cereals, Ympact helps create a strong foundation, encouraging robust root development and supporting crop resilience through establishment.
You only get one chance to establish a crop. Ympact helps provide the strongest possible start by supporting root development, early vigour and crop resilience, giving your crop the foundation it needs to perform throughout the season.
|
|
|
Giving autumn crops the best possible start
Kinsidro® Grow+ is designed to support early crop development by encouraging root growth, improving nutrient uptake and helping crops build the foundation needed for strong performance throughout the season.
Autumn conditions can be unpredictable, from dry spells to waterlogged seedbeds and fluctuating temperatures.
Kinsidro Grow+ helps support the crop during these early growth stages, encouraging robust development and helping plants become more resilient to environmental stresses as they progress through the season.
Whether applied to winter wheat or winter oilseed rape, Kinsidro Grow+ provides valuable support during the establishment phase, helping crops develop the rooting and early biomass required to maximise performance before winter.
|
Key benefits:
Stronger root development
• Encourages greater root mass and root exploration.
• Supports improved nutrient and water uptake.
• Helps crops access resources deeper within the soil profile.
Improved early vigour
• Promotes stronger autumn growth.
• Encourages uniform crop establishment.
• Helps crops compete more effectively with environmental challenges.
Support through variable conditions
• Helps crops maintain momentum during periods of stress.
• Supports establishment when drilling conditions are less than ideal.
• Contributes to improved resilience heading into winter.
Setting up spring performance
• Well-established crops entering winter are often better placed to maximise spring growth opportunities.
• Enhanced root systems help support nutrient capture as demand increases through the growing season.
|
For winter oilseed rape, autumn establishment is arguably the most important growth phase of the season. Success depends on developing sufficient root and canopy biomass before winter to help the crop withstand environmental pressures and achieve rapid spring recovery.
With cabbage stem flea beetle pressure, challenging establishment conditions and greater scrutiny on crop inputs, every plant established successfully becomes increasingly important. Maximising root development and crop biomass before winter can have a significant influence on spring performance and final yield potential.
A strong crop starts below ground. Kinsidro Grow+ helps drive root development, nutrient uptake and early vigour, providing the foundation for improved crop resilience and performance.
|
|
|
News and views from the Corteva Team
|
|
|
|
Get to know Team Corteva:
You might already have seen some of our blogs introducing colleagues from across Corteva. To help you get to know the team better, we've asked each of them a few key questions about their careers, roles and what inspires them.
This month, we're featuring two of our previous members of Team Corteva, who have just finished their MDS and university placements with us! Meet Ellie Sill, Corteva's CRM and Digital Assistant, as she shares how a background in sport, health and nutrition led her into the industry. We're also introducing Kitty Ing, Commercial Intern, who shares her experiences of working across trials, crop protection and product development during her placement year.
|
|
To read Kitty's blog, click here. To read Ellie's blog, click here.
|
Want to get to know more of the people behind Team Corteva? Read more colleague stories and blogs here.
|
|
|
Make the most of Corteva's free agronomy apps
Whether you're in the field or at your desk, the Corteva Arable and Forage apps provide quick access to technical information, decision-support tools and practical agronomy advice.
Both apps are available for free on both Apple and Android devices, giving you easy access to Corteva expertise wherever you are.
For further information and download links for the Corteva apps, click here.
|
|
|
|
Want to hear more from us?
Update your preferences and tailor your choices to make sure you receive the communications that are right for you. Don't forget to enter into our monthly prize draw by ticking the box before submitting to be in with the chance to win!
You can also stay in the loop with all the latest updates by following @CortevaUK on X and Facebook, @CortevaUKI on Instagram, and subscribing to our @CortevaUKI YouTube channel.
|
|
|
|
Get in touch with our hotline team
|
CPD points
Subscribing to Corteva Agriscience's Arable Update gives eligibility for 2 CP BASIS points and/or 2 NRoSO points and/or 2 CP points for those who are part of the BASIS Environmental Advisors Register (EAR) annually.
|
USE PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS SAFELY. Always read the label and product information before use. For further information including warning phrases and symbols refer to label. ®, ™ Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. All other brand names are trademarks of other manufacturers for which proprietary rights may exist. All manufacturers trade names and trademarks are duly acknowledged. © 2026 Corteva. Belkar® contains halauxifen-methyl (Arylex™ active) and picloram. Astrokerb® contains aminopyralid and propyzamide. Kerb® Flo 500 contains propyzamide. Broadway® Star contains pyroxsulam and florasulam. Spitfire® contains florasulam and fluroxypyr. Instinct® contains nitrapyrin. Ympact® contains fulvic acid, humic acid, trace elements including copper (0.45%), manganese (0.74%), zinc (1.1%), boron, cobalt and sodium. Kinsidro® Grow+ contains fulvic acid, humic acid, potassium oxide (10%), sodium oxide (3.75%), sulfur trioxide (6.25%), boron (0.04%), cobalt (0.04%), copper (0.04%), manganese (0.04%), molybdenum (0.005%) and zinc (0.05%).  | | | | |