Country Selector
Gearing up for spring: tackling early weed pressures in cereals
As 2026 gets underway, growers are reminded not to overlook the importance of early-season weed control in cereals.
Despite a cold and wet start to the new year, residual herbicides were applied early, in warm, dry conditions last autumn, and are therefore likely to lose efficacy sooner than expected.
With residual chemistry running out of steam and spells of mild weather encouraging continued weed emergence, timely intervention will be critical.
Weed pressure is currently variable across the country. Fields that missed residuals are showing significant populations of ryegrass, bromes, wild oats and annual meadow grass, and should be prioritised once conditions are suitable.
Even in cleaner fields, where residuals were applied, new flushes of bromes, ryegrass, wild oats, and challenging broad‑leaved weeds are already breaking through as residual persistence declines and soil disturbance from recent weather stimulates further germination.
Close monitoring is essential as residual activity falls, grassweeds and broad-leaved weeds must be controlled early to prevent yield loss.
Conditions may be difficult today, but spray windows can appear quickly at this time of year. Early applications, when weeds are small and actively growing, is often the most effective strategy for best results. Growers should be prepared to treat fields at the earliest opportunity when fields are travelable and weeds are actively growing.
Early control of grass and broad leaved weeds will be vital this season,” says Hugh Guinan, Cereal Herbicide Field Technical Manager for Corteva. “Forward crops need timely applications using contact chemistry to hit the weed targets effectively before they are shaded by the crop. Going early maximizes herbicide performance on difficult weeds, reduces later season tank mix complexity and minimises the crop impact from weed competition."
To help tackle these challenges, Corteva Agriscience launched Broadway® Ultra in 2025. The product combines two of the most effective grassweed herbicides, pyroxsulam and mesosulfuron-methyl, enabling arable farmers to control a wide spectrum of grass and broad-leaved weeds in a single pass.
Broadway Ultra applied at 100g/ha delivers 14 grams of each active per ha, in an easy to use, wettable granule.
“Growers will know that pyroxsulam provides excellent grass and broad-leaved weed control, but there is also a synergistic effect with the mesosulfuron, which brings in control of chickweed, sow thistle, shepherd’s purse and meadow grass,” says Hugh. “Good control of rat’s tail fescues has also been reported.”
Getting the best results out of Broadway Ultra
Applications may be made in winter wheat and triticale from 1 January until the middle of May. Growers should use it at a rate of 100g/ha in combination with an approved adjuvant.
“It’s quite a wide window of application, but we always advise growers to treat weeds early when they are small and actively growing,” says Hugh. “These conditions can often occur in late January and early February, so growers need to be prepared ahead of the season.”
On-farm use in 2025 demonstrated the benefits of this approach, removing grassweed competition early while also controlling a broad spectrum of broad-leaved weeds.
Hugh adds that the product delivers greatest value where residual programmes have been compromised, leaving higher levels of grass and broad-leaved weeds to tidy up in the spring.
With excellent crop safety and a long tank-mix compatibility list, Broadway Ultra offers spray operators the flexibility to apply alongside a wide range of ALS herbicides from both Corteva and other manufacturers.
Broad‑leaved weeds including cleavers, volunteer beans and poppies are also emerging now. Where these are already sizeable, consider tank mixing Zypar® with Broadway Ultra. Alternatively, a Zypar application at T0 can be a cost‑effective option for controlling difficult broad‑leaved weeds early and is far more effective than waiting for temperatures to rise to use phenoxy or SU chemistry against a larger weed.
Insights and updates will be shared throughout the season.
For further information, please contact our technical hotline on 0800 689 8899, e-mail: ukhotline@corteva.com or send us an enquiry using this online form.