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DIRECTIONS FOR USE
IMPORTANT: This information is approved as part of the Product Label. All instructions within this section must be read carefully in order to obtain safe and successful use of this product.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Barracuda is a suspension concentrate containing the herbicide active ingredient mesotrione for the control of annual broad-leaved weeds in grain maize and forage maize crops only. Barracuda is absorbed by the weed foliage and works mainly by means of uptake through the leaves and limited uptake through the roots. After entry into the plant, mesotrione is translocated to the growing points. For best results, use when there is adequate soil moisture, under warm/humid
conditions and when the weeds are small and actively growing. Following application sensitive weed species show chlorosis and subsequently die.

WARNINGS AND RESTRICTIONS
DO NOT USE on any crop that is being grown for seed. DO NOT USE on any sweetcorn variety. To avoid damage to plants outside the target area, DO NOT APPLY under windy conditions and take extreme care to avoid spray drift. All broad-leaved species are particularly susceptible to damage from spray drift. Do not apply to crops that are under stress from any cause including pest or disease attack, nutrient deficiency, drought, waterlogging, previous herbicide application or any other cause. Do not apply during very cold or frosty conditions or when large temperature fluctuations or excessive rainfall are forecasted or expected. Do not allow spray bouts to overlap. Before use, make sure the sprayer is cleaned from any previous use, and that it is calibrated to apply the recommended spray volume and pressure. Make sure that all the sprayer nozzles are performing equally and that the spray boom is set at the correct height above the crop. Trace
amounts of Barracuda remaining in the sprayer after use can cause damage to other crops subsequently treated with the same equipment. Immediately after use thoroughly clean the sprayer and all equipment as follows: fill the spray tank with clean water to a minimum of 10% of its total volume. Flush the water through the sprayer, including nozzles and spray booms and lines. Drain and repeat the procedure. During spray equipment cleaning, do not allow the product or sprayer equipment washings to contaminate water. Do not clean application equipment near surface water. Avoid contamination via drains from farmyards and roads.

CROPS AND TIMING
For use in grain maize and forage maize only. Apply from when the crop has between 2 to 8 leaves. For best results, use when there is adequate soil moisture, under warm/humid conditions and when the weeds are small and actively growing, see “WEEDS CONTROLLED”, for weed species and maximum sizes controlled. Ensure that the crop and weed foliage are dry at the time of application, do not use if heavy rainfall is forecasted or expected soon after application. Under extreme weather conditions, some chlorosis (mild – moderate) may occur on the crop foliage. This chlorosis is normally transient and there is no effect on crop yield. Always check the condition of the crop and the weeds immediately prior to application. Treatment in poor growing conditions or in dry soil may give less reliable control.

RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT
Barracuda contains mesotrione which is from a group of herbicides referred to as 4-HPPD inhibitors. This class of compounds act by disrupting the synthesis of certain plant pigments involved in photosynthesis. At the present time there is no known cross-resistance to mesotrione in weeds that exhibit resistance or reduced sensitivity to other herbicides with different modes of action. The use of Barracuda in mixtures and sequences with other herbicides approved for use in grain and forage maize crops and with a different mode of action is recommended to help to reduce the development of resistance. As herbicides in the group of 4-HPPD inhibitors are currently only available in maize crops, crop rotation with the use of herbicides with a different mode of action will also help to reduce the development of resistance. In the event that strains of weeds develop resistance or become less sensitive to a specific herbicide such as mesotrione, weed control
may be reduced. Where maize crops are grown in successive seasons, avoid the use of Barracuda for more than two successive seasons to avoid the potential for weed resistance developing to mesotrione.

APPLICATION RATE
Apply Barracuda at 0.75-1.5 litres per ha in 200-300 litres of water per hectare. Select the dose rate from within this recommended range according to the weed species present, see “WEEDS CONTROLLED”. Select the most appropriate water volume from within this recommended range to give good even cover of the weed foliage. Use the minimum water volume (200 litres per ha) wherever possible, but the higher volume (300 litres per ha) may be required if the weed foliage is dense. Do not exceed the maximum recommended water volume. Use a conventional hydraulic nozzle field crop sprayer with suitable nozzles operating at a pressure of 2-3 bar to apply a MEDIUM quality spray (BCPC). The use of any tank mix adjuvant with Barracuda is not required and is not recommended.

MIXING
Half fill the sprayer tank with clean water and begin gentle agitation. Add the required quantity of product into the sprayer tank and allow to disperse fully. Rinse the empty containers thoroughly by using an integrated pressure rinsing device or manually rinsing three times. Add the washings to the sprayer and continue agitation whilst topping up the tank with water to the required level. Continue agitation until the mix is sprayed out. Spray immediately after mixing, do not allow the mixture to stand in the sprayer. When using tank-mixes follow any specified order of addition on the partner product label(s).

FOLLOWING CROPS
Crops following normal harvest of the treated crop:
Autumn-sown crops
Rye-grass, winter wheat, durum wheat and winter barley can be planted in the Autumn following harvesting of a treated crop. Oilseed rape can be planted in the Autumn following harvesting of a treated crop, provided that the land is ploughed to a depth of at least 15cm and then cultivated prior to sowing.
Spring-sown crops
Spring barley, spring wheat, rye-grass, forage maize and grain maize can be planted in the Spring following harvesting of a treated crop. DO NOT sow any other crop in the year following harvesting of a treated crop.

FAILED CROPS
In the event of failure of a treated crop for any reason, plough prior to re-seeding. Sow only forage maize or grain maize after the failure of a treated crop. Some effect on the re-seeded crop may be seen shortly after emergence but these are usually only temporary and quickly outgrown.

COMPATIBILITY
Barracuda may be applied as a tank-mix with a range of products.