Liberator
Liberator is the first step to effective grass-weed and broad-leaved weed control in winter wheat, winter barley, spring wheat and spring barley.
Product details
Effective control of grass-weeds requires a robust herbicide programme. Liberator provides the crucial first step in that programme, with unrivalled pre-emergence control of black-grass and other grass-weeds, plus a range of broad-leaved weeds.
When used as a pre-emergence herbicide, Liberator reduces the number of weeds that a post-emergence herbicide – such as Atlantis OD or Monolith – has to control. This improves overall weed control while reducing the potential to select for resistant weeds.
Key advantages
Safe for use with all varieties of winter wheat, winter barley, spring wheat and spring barley
White, suspension formulation, with a low, inoffensive odour and non-staining qualities
User friendly, with low dose rate
Reliable residual control even in dry autumn conditions
Winter oilseed rape, winter wheat, winter barley, winter leaf brassicas and winter field beans may be drilled the following autumn.
Sugar beet, spring wheat, spring barley, potatoes, spring oilseed rape, peas, spring field beans, edible brassicas and onions may be drilled the following spring.
We recommend that you apply Liberator pre-emergence, ideally within 48 hours of drilling. When applying pre-emergence, seed should be covered with a minimum of 32mm of settled soil. Good weed control depends on burying any trash or straw before, or during, seedbed preparation. Seedbeds must have a firm, fine tilth.
If pre emergence spraying for black-grass and rye-grass in winter wheat has been delayed, tank-mix Liberator with Atlantis OD and biopower and apply in the autumn when black-grass is at the one to three-leaf stage.
When is the best time to apply Liberator?
Liberator came to market in 2004, and trials conducted since then have demonstrated that Liberator is best used as a true pre-emergence herbicide. That means, spraying within 48 hours of drilling at the appropriate dose rate.
Jack Hill, Bayer CTM, is often asked, “Is it too dry to apply Liberator?” Jack says that if there is enough moisture to drill, then there is enough moisture to activate Liberator’s active ingredient components. He also explains that the residual nature of Liberator’s active ingredients means you have some flexibility, as long as you have sufficient moisture within seven days of applying.
Liberator should be used as part of a robust weed control programme. Flufenacet, contained in Liberator, is the most effective active ingredient for pre-emergence black-grass control, and when used in Liberator typically gives up to 80% control. The addition of aclonifen, in the form of Proclus, can increase control by 10-15% over straight Liberator.
Ideally, follow Liberator with a post-emergence spray once crop and remaining black-grass has germinated, but while black-grass plants are still small and easier to control. In winter wheat:
For the treatment of black-grass and rye-grass Liberator can be followed by a tank-mix of Atlantis OD and pendimethalin, along with our adjuvant biopower. It should be applied early in the autumn to small, actively-growing weeds. For the treatment of bromes, Liberator can be followed by Pacifica Plus and biopower in the spring (after 1st February), up to growth stage 39 of the crop. For winter barley, Liberator can also be used in a programme with a pinoxaden-based product in the early autumn.
In situations where further residual control is required you may use ‘stacking’ - tank-mixing additional products including*:
Proclus Pendimethalin DFF Prosulfocarb (only on winter wheat)
*See the tank mix for further information. Where an autumn post-emergence spray has not been applied, Monolith can be applied in the spring to winter wheat, before GS33 of the crop.
Always follow WRAG (Weed Resistance Action Group) guidelines for preventing and managing herbicide resistant weed
Typical levels of black-grass control provided by a pre-emergence application of Liberator range from 60 to 80%
Optimising the control of grass-weeds prior to post-emergence treatment dramatically reduces the population
Do not use Liberator as a stand-alone treatment for black-grass control. Use in a tank-mix or sequences with effective herbicides with other modes of action.
Do not use Liberator as the sole means of controlling grass-weeds and broad-leaved weeds in successive crops.