AbsolutePlant Protection Product ComparisonPlant Protection Product ComparisonReport inaccuraciesReport inaccuracies

Formulation
A non-segregating water-dispersible granule containing 417 g/kg diflufenican and 83 g/kg flupyrsulfuron-methyl, based on flupyrsulfuron SX technology.

Rainfastness
Rainfast after 1 hour from application.

Restrictions
Do not apply ‘Absolute’ to any crop suffering from stress as a result of drought, waterlogging, low temperatures, pest or disease attack, nutrient or lime deficiency, soil compaction or other factors reducing crop growth.
Do not use ‘Absolute’ on crops undersown with grasses, clover or other legumes or any other broad-leaved crop.
Do not apply within seven days of rolling emerged winter wheat.
Do not apply to broadcast crop, seed should be covered to at least a depth of 25 mm.
Refer to ‘Compatibility’ for details on use of ‘Absolute’ with other ‘ALS inhibiting’ herbicides.
Extreme care must be taken to avoid spray drift onto non-crop plants outside of the target area. Thorough cleansing of equipment is also very important - see separate section.
The residual activity of ‘Absolute’ will be reduced on soil of high organic matter content e.g. black fen and peat. Do not treat soils containing more than 10% organic matter.

Weed Control
'Absolute’ contains two highly active herbicidal ingredients (one of which is an ALS inhibitor) and has foliar, root and shoot activity against black-grass and a wide range of broad-leaved weeds. It is readily translocated within the weed plant, inhibiting growth within hours of application. The time taken for symptoms to appear and death to occur may vary between species. In some weed species, depending on weather conditions, symptoms may not be apparent for up to four weeks. Plants not completely killed are often severely stunted and are much less competitive with the crop. ‘Absolute’ has a moderate residual life in soil under normal conditions. The residual activity is reduced by high soil temperatures due to increased degradation of the active ingredient. Weed control may also be reduced when soil conditions are very dry. Nevertheless, with adequate soil moisture, susceptible weeds germinating soon after treatment will be controlled.

Soil
‘Absolute’ can be used on all soil types. On highly alkaline soils (pH > 7.7) the residual activity and subsequent weed control achieved by ‘Absolute’ is reduced. ‘Absolute’ is more persistent in soils of low pH.

Volume and application
Apply in 100-400 litres of water per hectare, using suitable equipment to give good cover of the weeds. When crops are thick the higher volume should be used. When applying ‘Absolute’, care should be taken not to overlap spray swaths.

Mixing
Before using ‘Absolute’, make sure that the spraying equipment is clean. ‘Absolute’ mixes easily with water, but the following mixing procedure should be followed: Half fill the spray tank with water, start the agitation and add the required quantity of ‘Absolute’ directly to the tank without prior creaming. Continue agitation while topping up the tank and while spraying.

Following Crops
Only cereals, oilseed rape or field beans may be sown in the year of harvest to succeed a cereal crop treated with ‘Absolute’. Ploughing must occur before planting any non-cereal
crop. An interval of at least 20 weeks should elapse between treatment and subsequent planting of the following spring sown crops: spring wheat, spring barley, spring oilseed
rape, peas, spring field beans, sugar beet, potatoes, carrots, brassicae and onions. Ploughing must occur before planting any spring crop. Where ‘Absolute’ and other diflufenican containing products are applied to successive crops, levels of diflufenican may build up in the soil and pose a risk to following crops of onions, leek and related species and clover. As a precaution, diflufenican containing products should not be used in successive years on land intended for these crops.

Crop Failure
In the event of crop failure for any reason, sow only winter wheat or spring wheat, within Version dated 19th October 2015 three months of application of ‘Absolute’. Prior to resowing, soil should be ploughed and cultivated to a depth of at least 15 cm. After three months follow the recommendations in “Following crops” section.