Raptor/Clearcast

[Mitch123]

Stop me if you have heard this before, but I'm new to the site and couldn't find much about it. Getting to the point I'm curious about the Clearcast product. I've found it has the same Active Ingredients as Raptor, but just much cheaper. We have clover stands and in the summer have to spray it multiple times with 24DB products and grass killing herbicides. I was curious to see if anyone has any more information on it? If it's what I think it is, I would like to start spraying it on our chicory, alfalfa and clover fields! Should save some time and money! Thank you for the help!

 

[Elkaddict]

Great question, Mitch, the cost of Raptor has been a real issue for me as I mix chicory in all white clover plots.

 

[Mitch123]

From what I have heard, it does work. I've also seen the Clearcast sold in quarts instead of the gallon which of course would also make it cheaper. When getting the Clearcast though you also need a Nitro-Surf Nitrogen mixer but that again is also cheaper from what I've found. My main question and concern is just trying to find some hunters and deer hunters that have used the mix and used it with success. Including the rates they have used etc. All of the AI line up with the Raptor would just like to make sure it's good to go! Before of course I get some waste a little money and my fields get killed off!!!! Thank again for any help

 

[Tap]

I've been using Raptor (Clearcast has the same active ingredient ) for several years now. I'm 50-50 on the stuff.
It IS expensive to buy, but you only need+-4 oz per acre so a gallon goes a long way. Surfactant and AMS need added. There's also soil residual so it limits follow up crops. It's okay on some weeds but others (Canada Thistle for instance )laugh at it.
It is safe for Chicory and is needed for crops like Clearfield Sunflowers, which I grow and like.
Raptor has it's uses, but it isn't the end all, beat all, of herbicides.
Gotta say I don't like the residual aspect.
And it can only be applied once per year, so timing of when to use it comes into play.

 

[Mitch123]

Interesting take and info Tap thank you. Only using it once a year is information to me and interesting and is kind of a downfall. What kind of soil residuals does it have?

 

[Tap]

Interesting take and info Tap thank you. Only using it once a year is information to me and interesting and is kind of a downfall. What kind of soil residuals does it have?

I'm sure there are others that can explain herbicide residual better than me, but it's basically a percentage of the herbicide that remains active in the soil for a certain amount of time. The amount of time depends on factors such as soil type and rainfall. There are some crops that can't be grown for 18 months after Raptor is applied.
Go to Keystone Pest Control website, do a search on Raptor (not sure if they handle Clearest yet) and bring up the label. It will explain some residual times/crops/weeds better than I can. And Wes Weaver from Keystone is very helpful and will answer any questions more accurately than I can.

 

[Smallplot]

Raptor is not something just to throw at weeds. One need to be certain that the target weeds are listed on the raptor label. If they are then sure spray away, just be very careful of double sprays and such. The times I have used raptor was to take out PA Smart Weed and it did an outstanding job. Not talking about a few plants but the entire plots were being overtaken.


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[Tap]

Raptor is not something just to throw at weeds. One need to be certain that the target weeds are listed on the raptor label. If they are then sure spray away, just be very careful of double sprays and such. The times I have used raptor was to take out PA Smart Weed and it did an outstanding job. Not talking about a few plants but the entire plots were being overtaken.


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Yep. And pay close attention to what the label says on weed size. Once they hit a certain maturity, Raptor doesn't work so well.
The label also refers to listed weeds as "controlled" or "suppressed". I haven't had great success on weeds listed as suppressed, but once again, the maturity of the weed could have been a factor.

There was a thread on the old forum from one of the highly regarded members (was it Brushpile?) on why Glyphosate may not be working for some of us.
There is strong evidence that the mix water that a lot of us use needs pre-treated with AMS or the gly loses most of it's effectiveness. AMS, in some cases, should be added to the water FIRST and added as much as 24 hours prior to adding the herbicide. I wonder if Raptor is also effected by WHEN, and for HOW LONG the AMS is added to the mix water before the herbicide is added.
Was that your thread Brushpile? If so, can you please elaborate on that excellent thread? (Man, there was some fantastic info on that forum. It's a crime that it went away)

 

[John Paul]

Stop me if you have heard this before, but I'm new to the site and couldn't find much about it. Getting to the point I'm curious about the Clearcast product. I've found it has the same Active Ingredients as Raptor, but just much cheaper. We have clover stands and in the summer have to spray it multiple times with 24DB products and grass killing herbicides. I was curious to see if anyone has any more information on it? If it's what I think it is, I would like to start spraying it on our chicory, alfalfa and clover fields! Should save some time and money! Thank you for the help!

Buy ClearCast and use the Raptor label. I used it on a few clover plots and about 10 acres of Clearfield Sunflowers last year and it did an outstanding job. As stated above the residual is definitely a concern in regards to rotating crops/food plots and people should read the label thoroughly before making a plan for their field. I used 5 oz per acre FWIW.

 

[Mitch123]

The issue of the residual effect isn't an issue since we are going to be using it on a clover, alfalfa and chicory plot. They will be coming back for a few years. How are you guys spraying? We have ATV tanks that hold 15 gallons of water. 15 gallons gets us about one acre of plots sprayed. So for every acre use 4-6 ounces of Clearcast to the 15 gallons of water, also including the nitro surf.

 

[John Paul]

Yes depending on what weed you are after 4 oz will get them cleaned up pretty good. I've tanked mixed a shot of Clethodim to really work on the grass if it's thick in the clover and Clearfield sunflowers.

 

[Smallplot]

The issue of the residual effect isn't an issue since we are going to be using it on a clover, alfalfa and chicory plot. They will be coming back for a few years. How are you guys spraying? We have ATV tanks that hold 15 gallons of water. 15 gallons gets us about one acre of plots sprayed. So for every acre use 4-6 ounces of Clearcast to the 15 gallons of water, also including the nitro surf.

Look at label and apply the recommended amount for type and size of weed you are targeting. As far as how much to add, when putting ounces over an acre sized parcel you should be pretty spot on with exactly how much you spray with the 15 gallon, about just don't cut it here. Also is there a min application rate of mixed solution per acre?

This works as a contact herbicide but for residual effects you have to get some of this solution to the soil. I have found that more carrier is usually better in this instance than less (example 20 gal of solution per acre over 15 gal).


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[Tap]

The issue of the residual effect isn't an issue since we are going to be using it on a clover, alfalfa and chicory plot. They will be coming back for a few years. How are you guys spraying? We have ATV tanks that hold 15 gallons of water. 15 gallons gets us about one acre of plots sprayed. So for every acre use 4-6 ounces of Clearcast to the 15 gallons of water, also including the nitro surf.

I've used a 25 gallon ATV sprayer mounted on a 3 pt carry-all and I've used a 4 gallon back pack sprayer.
I'm not familiar with Nitro surf. I assume it's a surfactant?? Is it non ionic (whatever non ionic means, but it's what the label calls for).
The label also calls for AMS.

 

[Dr. Wally]

great thread...Ihave been trying clearcast this year...

 

[sagittarius]

Clearcast/raptor .... max use 6 oz per acre/year. Many weeds need to be less than 3 in. tall and 4 to 6 oz/acre rate. For Chicory plot no more than 4 oz/acre application rate.

Rotational planting interval following Raptor application:

• alfalfa, wheat: 3 months
• Corn: 8.5 months
• Oats, turnip, pumpkin: 9 months
• Sugarbeets: 18+ months

http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ld20T000.pdf

 

[Dr. Wally]

nice thread, good info...I am playing with Raptor again this year. This spring sprayed early April, while grass and broadleaf small. So far not much effect, curious if I sprayed too early (west Ky) . Last year spraying later in summer didn't do so well, and the weeds were actively growing, but i think too mature. My grasses still alive in clover /Chic fields after 3 weeks

 

[davidhelmly]

nice thread, good info...I am playing with Raptor again this year. This spring sprayed early April, while grass and broadleaf small. So far not much effect, curious if I sprayed too early (west Ky) . Last year spraying later in summer didn't do so well, and the weeds were actively growing, but i think too mature. My grasses still alive in clover /Chic fields after 3 weeks

From my experiences you’re much better off using clethodim for grasses than Raptor, much better kill and no residual.

 

[KSQ2]

I’ve used clethodim with great success in the past too. Weeds don’t bug me in our clover plots, after a mowing the clover usually keeps them at bay. Grass is my personal clover plot nemesis.

 

[RGrizzzz]

I'm planning to spray some clover plots with Imox this weekend. Does anyone know how long I have to wait before I can overseed oats or barely, due to the residual effects of the spraying? Goal is to have to oats/barley fill in where the grass was. Thanks!

 

[Mitch123]

I noticed that when spraying Clearcast /Imox in the fall, the up coming spring our plot looked a lot better! I was sitting in the turkey blind, looking at two fields with the same thing planted in them. One I sprayed a few weeks ago in the spring, the other was last fall and didn’t even need a spray this spring. From here on out I believe that I will spray the Clearcast/Imox in the fall. Touching up some things in the spring and summer months if need be.