Indianapolis, Indiana
January 3, 2003

Dow AgroSciences LLC has received EPA registration for Keystone* LA herbicide, which will be available for field use during the 2003 growing season. Keystone LA is a soil-applied premix of acetochlor and next generation atrazine from Dow AgroSciences contained in a suspo-emulsion formulation.

The "LA" stands for "less atrazine." At standard use rates, Keystone LA delivers 2 pounds of acetochlor and 0.75 pound of atrazine per acre. The atrazine rate in Keystone LA is half the rate found in Keystone* herbicide (1.50 pounds), which received EPA registration last summer. Both products control grasses like foxtails, barnyardgrass and crabgrass; and tough broadleaf weeds like waterhemp, lambsquarters, pigweed, nightshade and smartweed.

Ben Kaehler, senior marketing specialist for Dow AgroSciences, says Keystone LA was designed for areas where atrazine use rates are restricted or where lower atrazine rates are desired. He expects Keystone LA herbicide to be popular in the Upper Midwest – particularly northern Iowa, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan – and parts of Kansas and Nebraska.

Features Ease of Handling
Keystone LA also contains a new advanced technology surfactant package. According to Kaehler, the acetochlor, atrazine and surfactant were specially formulated to create a superior handling product that provides consistent weed control.

"Today's soil-applied herbicides in general do a very good job of controlling both grasses and broadleaf weeds, but they can be difficult to handle at times," Kaehler says. "We saw an opportunity in this category to create a product that applicators could use to reduce handling problems during the busy spring season."

Dow AgroSciences tested both Keystone LA and Keystone with retailers and growers last summer to gain feedback on the handling of the new formulation.

Steve Leusink, agronomy manager for Midwest Farmer's Co-op in Orange City, Iowa, said he experienced good weed control and performance with Keystone LA. He tank-mixed it with Hornet* WDG herbicide.

"I had no problems with the handling of Keystone LA and this tank mix," says Leusink. "It flowed through the equipment well. We had no plugging of screens from the atrazine, and the formulation was easy to clean up."

Portfolio Gives Applicators Choices
Kaehler says Keystone LA and Keystone herbicides join Dow AgroSciences' other acetochlor products – Surpass*, TopNotch* and FulTime* herbicides – in providing growers a complete portfolio of soil-applied herbicides to choose from.

"We have products with atrazine or without atrazine, or products specific to high-residue situations or conventional tillage systems," Kaehler says. "And all of our acetochlor herbicides are perfect partners when tank-mixed with Hornet WDG in a one-pass application or used sequentially in a two-pass system."

For more information about Keystone LA or any of the Dow AgroSciences soil-applied herbicides, contact your local ag retailer or Dow AgroSciences sales representative. Or call 1-800-258-3033 or email us at info@dowagro.com.

Weed Control (%) Comparison of Keystone LA vs. Bicep Lite II Magnum



Dow AgroSciences Field Trials, 2002.

Dow AgroSciences Acetochlor Herbicides Comparison

Keystone, Keystone LA, Surpass, TopNotch, FulTime and Bicep Lite II Magnum are federally Restricted Use Pesticides. Keystone, Keystone LA, Surpass, TopNotch and FulTime are not registered for sale, distribution or use in the state of New York. Hornet WDG herbicide is limited to 2.0 oz./A in a POST application only in the state of New York.
Always read and follow label directions.