Weed · Asparagus, maize (corn) and artichoke
Field bindweed: treat the patches, not the field
Convolvulus arvensis
Field bindweed does not go away in a year. What you can do is treat only where it is, season after season, and use the map to see whether each patch is shrinking.
We have not flown this problem ourselves yet. We work it out with you, on your field.
The problem
A weed that lives underground
Field bindweed is a climbing perennial. It regrows every season from the roots and underground stems, so it comes up in the same patches and climbs into the crop.
Because one pass does not finish it, many farmers write it off or spray the whole field every year. Both are expensive.
How it works
A map that works for several years
1
We fly at the right time
In asparagus, after harvest and before the fern closes over. In maize, while the crop is low.
2
We send you the map
Each patch with its position and area.
3
You treat only the patches
With your own equipment, on the patches and not on the rest. Next year we fly again and compare.
Comparing one year’s map with the next is the clearest way to know whether what you are doing works.
Where it shows up
Where it shows up
- Asparagus
- Maize (corn)
- Artichoke
In artichoke, the best moment is before planting or before the crop starts to grow: the patches stand out and can be treated with no crop on top. We tell you once we have seen your field.
What farmers ask us
Field bindweed: your field questions
Is there a solution?
You can keep it under control, but you do not eliminate it in one season. What works is going back to the same patches for several years. The map tells you where to keep at it and whether the patch is getting smaller.
Why does tillage spread it?
Because the implement chops up the roots and the underground stems, and the pieces can regrow.
Which product should I use?
It depends on the crop, and what is authorised changes from year to year. Before you spray, check in your country’s official pesticide register that the product is approved for your crop (in the UK, the HSE register of authorised products; in the US, the label registered with the EPA and your state), or ask us. We do not recommend products.
Know someone this would help?
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