3 Sep 2024. Paul McIntosh, Pulse Australia and WeedSmart.
The actual winter period is fast coming to an end and with the warm conditions we have experienced in the last week or so - many would say that it has gone completely. I am a little more reticent with a memory of widespread frosts in early September 2012.
However, with these warm conditions, our favourite winter pulse and break crop in Chickpeas are powering on. With average day temperatures over 15 degrees C, any possible flower sterility in our desi chicks is ended and pods will be forming.
This brings a conundrum with some of our fungicides we need to apply to prevent diseases like Ascochyta or Botrytis Grey mould from infecting our nice green healthy chickpea plants.
Some of our newer fungicides have this statement in the critical comment’s column:
“Apply up to the end of flowering. Do not apply after crop growth stage of BBCH 69 (end of flowering).”
Very confusing and very annoying from my perspective as we are all very aware of not exceeding any MRLs or Maximum Residue Levels (or Limits) and here we have a label stating this critical comment and then compounding the issue by stating at the bottom that WHP or Withholding periods of “Not required when used as directed.”
Now we all know that chickpeas are very indeterminate in their growth habits and flowering and pod formation can happen simultaneously on the same plant.
So, end of flowering time timeline could be at mid or even late podding on a plant.
My investigations with industry researchers and government pesticide residue folks certainly clarify that first pod should be the cut off time for application to our desi chickpea crops of these fungicides.
Agreed many registered fungicides state days to harvest such as WHP is 28 days to harvest. Fairly clear cut and specific and not subject to bending the rules or confusion in determination of BBCH 69 growth timeline.
Spent some time in paddocks over the last week and active mice holes are starting to appear, so suggest check your paddocks of our bulky winter crops.
Also, the two GRDC harvester set-up workshops that I am organising is on soon. These popular and free header workshops are chock full of information by a team of Independent mechanical experts in Australia.
There are plenty of agronomists I know who I class as top of the tops in our Northern region agronomy skills, and I really rate this harvester team’s practical knowledge and skills as high as my fellow agronomy peers.
Our Queensland locations for 2024 are on at Brookstead on the morning of Monday the 2nd Sept and St George/Dirranbandi Hwy on Tuesday morning the 3rd Sept, the information you gain there will save you grain loss, improve harvester efficiency and provide practical solutions to problems your header has and you may not even realise it. Pls RSVP to me or through the web site to assist our catering efforts. You really cannot miss these two important occasions for all farmers and header operators.
That’s all folks,
Paul McIntosh (JP Qual)