Bayer has brought a new residual pre-emergence herbicide to the UK market, adding another product to the amenity contractor’s armoury.  

Lewis Blois, Bayer national account manager, says Valdor® Flex (MAPP:19033) contains a unique new formulation. “The pre-emergence herbicide contains two active ingredients, that prevent the emergence of a broad spectrum of weeds for up to four months, reducing the frequency of traditional herbicide applications. 

“The product provides excellent residual control for even the hardest to manage weeds on a wide range of surfaces, including open soil, gravel and industrial areas.”  

Resistance management  

Lewis explains that because of the combination of active ingredients, Valdor® Flex acts as a valuable tool for resistance management within the weed control sector. 

“The herbicide provides good control of numerous weeds, while the two active ingredients, diflufenican and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, help to minimise the risk of resistance with two different modes of action.”  

Flexible applications 

“Valdor® Flex can be used as a stand-alone application on bare ground before weed emergence. But if weeds are present it can be mixed with glyphosate, which provides the initial knockdown, while Valdor® Flex will provide residual control preventing subsequent weeds emerging for up to four months.” 

Lewis says the correct amount of product should be mixed to cover the given spray area for that day. However, he explains Valdor® Flex is stable in water for at least 24 hours, so if for some reason there is any spray solution left in the tank it can be used the following day. 

“It’s easy to mix in a knapsack or tractor mounted sprayer with very little dust given off, providing improved operator safety,” he says. 

“Valdor® Flex is also available in a range of pack sizes. The 10g sachets are the ideal dose to be mixed in a knapsack sprayer with 10 litres of water. However, for contractors requiring larger quantities, the 500g bottle may be more cost effective to use in a tractor mounted sprayer. 

“We’re always working hard to bring new innovative formulations and sustainable solutions to the amenity sector, and the launch of this product will help contractors continue to manage weeds at a time when many products are being lost from the market,” concludes Lewis. 

Alan Abel, from Complete Weed Control, put the herbicide to the test on a heavily weeded gravel site at an international airport.  

“Valdor® Flex stood out for us due to the long-lasting residual control and its low risk of resistance. In practice these features impressed with great results. 

“Herbicide resistance is an increasing issue for the amenity sector, so the fact that new products are coming to the market is certainly a positive, helping us to complete jobs efficiently,” says Alan. 

www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk