Condition water to boost glyphosate efficacy
After confirmed cases of Italian ryegrass resistance to glyphosate, De Sangosse has launched a new online resource to help farmers and advisors tackle hard water issues to maximise glyphosate performance.
Hard water in the sprayer tank, says the firm, is one of the most overlooked, but critical challenges affecting spray performance.
“Hard water is one of the biggest hidden factors that can undermine glyphosate performance,” says Rob Suckling, Commercial Technical Manager at De Sangosse. “It reduces uptake, compromises weed control and leaves growers wondering why a perfectly timed spray hasn’t worked as expected.”
The ‘Clean Water. Clean Kill.’ online hub is designed to give farmers, sprayer operators and advisors practical, science-led guidance on how to maximise glyphosate efficacy by managing water quality.
The glyphosate stewardship hub includes a series of videos, a downloadable guide and live FAQ section, which provides information on achieving more consistent, effective glyphosate performance this autumn and beyond.
Water quality counts
Hard water contains positively charged ions (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Fe³⁺) that react with glyphosate in the tank, forming inactive compounds. This reduces uptake by the target weeds and ultimately lowers efficacy.
“If you’re not conditioning, or under-conditioning, you could be losing up to 30% efficacy from hard water,” says Rob. “It’s a widespread issue – approximately 70% of farms use moderately hard to very hard water.”
This not only affects immediate weed control but adds to long-term resistance pressure.
Lack of awareness
The campaign follows an extensive programme of events and open days, in which De Sangosse engaged with hundreds of farmers and operators. A recurring theme was a lack of awareness and clarity around water testing and conditioner use.
“Many didn’t know their water hardness level – so they were either under-dosing conditioners, over-applying unnecessarily, or not using a conditioner at all,” Rob explains. “You need a true water conditioner that sequesters hard water cations. And unless you know your water hardness in ppm, you can’t apply the correct dose.”
De Sangosse and EiOPERATOR have worked together to produce an online course worth two NRoSO and two BASIS points. Comprising four lessons, the course explains why stewardship matters in the fight against resistance; best practice for glyphosate application; water quality – testing for hardness and using water conditioners; and basic mixing and filling advice.
