As the only herbicide registered for sucker control in grapevines, olives, plums and other tree crops, using Spotlight Plus requires less labour than the manual alternative whilst also reducing the risk of disease borne by manual desuckering wounds.

A non-residual contact herbicide, Spotlight Plus is designed to maximise efficacy and reduce drift. It is widely used for desuckering in vines and tree crops, and for control of hard-to-kill broadleaf weeds such as small flowered mallow when tank-mixed with knockdown herbicides.

According to Matthew White, FMC area business manager, Spotlight Plus was purpose built for horticulture and is formulated with a built-in oil adjuvant.

“With the oil component in Spotlight Plus there is a reduction in fine spray droplets that minimises drift. It has excellent safety in vines and tree crops because the active constituent is not translocated within the plant.

“However, off-target drift can potentially injure desirable foliage, fruit and stems if standard drift reduction measures are not taken. A directed or fully shrouded sprayer is recommended, as well as nozzles that produce coarse to very coarse spray quality,” said Mr White.

Air induction nozzles are also preferred and off-centre nozzles are a further means of reducing upwards movement of the spray solution.

“Because Spotlight Plus is a contact herbicide, ensure that the recommended water volume is applied for thorough coverage of leaves and stems for optimum control. Sucker control should be conducted in the early growing season, prior to shoot lignification,” he added.

The active constituent in Spotlight, carfentrazone-ethyl, is a unique molecule that interacts with the plant’s photosynthetic system to form highly active compounds. These compounds rupture the plant cell membranes, resulting in the cell contents leaking out to cause rapid cell death. Because this mode of action is connected with photosynthesis, sunlight is essential for expression of herbicidal activity.

Spotlight Plus shows robust and consistent control of hard-to-kill broadleaf weeds. It has excellent compatibility with both glyphosate and paraquat based herbicides for broad-spectrum tree line weed control. The ability to alternate modes of action of the knockdown herbicide assists in preventing weed resistance.