Pack Size: 5L

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Pod Sticker

Iskay

Reliable yield insurance

Pod shatter arises from the swelling of ripe pods in wet weather, and contracting in dry weather. In the run up to a late harvest, brittle over-mature crops are particularly at risk of pod shatter, as plants become older and drier with age. Iskay is a pod sticker designed to prevent pod shatter by coating the crop with a thin film of polymer, best described as a micro-mesh. This holds brittle pods together to prevent shattering, with sufficient elasticity to allow for the final stages of pod fill to maximise yield.

Pod Sticker

Pod Sticker

Key situations in which to use Iskay

  • To avoid unnecessary risks - the best yield protection for podded crops from pod shatter
  • When heavy rain, adverse weather is anticipated, putting podded crops at risk of pod shatter in the run up to harvest
  • On fields that could be waiting some time to be harvested due to weather, workload etc
  • On podded crops without the pod shatter resistance gene built-in
  • Where volunteers are frequently an issue in following crops
  • To maximise yield and oil premiums

Reliable yield insurance

Key benefits

Reliable crop insurance 4-5 weeks post harvest

Iskay protects the seed in podded crops in the run up to harvest. Pod shatter, triggered by extreme weather events in the run up to harvest, typically result in yield reductions of between 8-12%, but losses of up to 50% are not unheard of as a result of hail storms and heavy rain.

Extends pod fill without shatter to maximise yield

Iskay can be used to protect podded crops from shatter with no impact on speed of desiccation, seed quality or seed maturity. It means pod fill can continue naturally, with added security from pod shatter.

Protects later harvested blocks

Whilst drilling oilseed rape may only take 4-5 days, harvesting it takes twice as long. It means often fields will be harvest ready but will have to wait their turn to be cut. Iskay ensures seed is protected in the pod until that field is cut.

Reduces volunteers & herbicide spend in following crops

Iskay prevents seed loss to the soil, preventing volunteers that require treatment in the following crop.

Value in use

Higher yields and quality. Average yield increase of 0.2 t/ha

Iskay improves oilseed rape yields by an average of 0.2 t/ha, improving margins by £58/ha based on a crop price of £340/t. Iskay has been known to improve yields by as much as 0.54 t/ha.

Peace of mind

With Iskay, you can have confidence that bumper crops will be protected all the way through to harvest.

Offers harvest flexibility

Iskay can be used to help manage harvesting sequence by protecting seeds in the pods until that crop is harvested. Timing and tank mix flexibility can bring additional gains by applying Iskay two weeks before the pre-harvest spray because it leaves the pods more rubbery and causes a degree of crop leaning in the tramline which seems to help with the subsequent pass of the sprayer with the desiccant.

Reduces herbicide costs and oil penalties in following crops

By reducing volunteers in the next crop, Iskay prevents the requirement for herbicide treatment. Contamination of oilseed rape with volunteers can also lead to high euric acid levels in the oil which cause penalties with crushers and impacts margins.

How Iskay works

Iskay sticks pods together to prevent pod shatter

The polymer blend used in Iskay forms a ‘lattice’ or mesh over the pod. This prevents the pod from splitting (Fig. 2) whilst maturing during dry or wet conditions on the run up to harvest.

This means that the upper and lower pods are securely ‘locked’ together (Fig. 3), preventing the pod from opening thereby minimising seed loss.

Once applied Iskay still allows the pod to mature naturally, enabling the crop to achieve its maximum yield potential.

Iskay offers reliable insurance for 4-5 weeks pre-harvest.

 

How to use Iskay

  • Apply Iskay between pods green and bendy (BBCH 80) to fully ripe/nearly all pods ripe, seeds black and hard (BBCH 89)
  • Use the higher water volumes in dense crops to maximise coverage
  • Add Iskay to the spray tank last
  • Iskay can be applied solo or in tank mix with glyphosate
  • Following application the sprayer should immediately be cleaned with water and a non-ionic wetter, ensuring thorough removal of any Iskay residues from the spray tank and spray equipment (e.g. pump, spray boom and nozzles)

Application rate per hectare

0.5 - 1.0 L/ha in 100 - 250 litres of water

Get in touch

Require technical assistance or product information? Please get in touch with our Technical Manager, Stuart Sutherland.

For all other general enquiries, please email or call us at the office. If you’d prefer, drop us a message using our contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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