Greensboro, North Carolina
December 19, 2008
As more cases of
glyphosate-resistant weeds are reported on new acres in the Corn
Belt each year, growers are integrating resistance management
into their production strategies. Increasingly, growers are
discovering that solid resistance management programs can be
agronomically sound in the long run and economical in the near
term, as they find ways to get rewards immediately with higher
corn yields and even cash incentives.
To achieve higher corn yields, growers are exploring their
options with pre-emergence herbicides that help minimize early
weed competition that can obstruct the way.
Bob Hartzler, extension weed specialist at Iowa State
University, says, “An important component to resistance
management is the use of alternative weed control chemistries,
such as pre-emergence herbicides.”
Richard Thooft, a grower in Lakefield, Minnesota includes
pre-emergence weed control as part of his AgriEdge® Corn weed
control strategy. He uses a full-rate of Lumax® herbicide from
Syngenta for early-season weed control and sprays Touchdown
Total® glyphosate herbicide on corn hybrids with the Agrisure®
GT trait if needed.
Hartzler adds, “Herbicide diversification is important, but to
be fully effective at reducing selection pressure the
alternative herbicides must control weeds at least as well as
glyphosate. If weeds are not effectively controlled by the
alternative herbicides, the likelihood of resistance appearing
in these weeds would be just as great as if no pre-emergence
herbicide had been applied.”
By following his AgriEdge Corn weed control strategy, Thooft has
been able to successfully control a wide spectrum of weeds,
including lambsquarters, common ragweed and Canadian thistle.
Thooft says, “I also get a cash incentive as an additional bonus
for following a recommended AgriEdge Corn weed control program.”
The AgriEdge Corn Program is a crop management system that
encourages growers to follow agronomic solutions that help
maximize corn yield potential. Growers get cash incentives for
selecting the best seed genetics, traits, seed treatment,
herbicides, fungicides and insecticides from Syngenta.
To further manage resistance, Thooft makes it a point to rotate
corn and soybeans so he limits dependence on glyphosate. “After
planting corn hybrids with the Agrisure GT trait in one year and
planting NK® Brand Soybeans with the Roundup Ready® trait the
next year, we’ll switch to conventional corn the year after. We
also never plant glyphosate tolerant (GT) crops on the same
field more than two years in a row,” Thooft says.
Brent Woodman of Kenesaw, Nebraska takes a similar
approach and says, “We use a full-rate of Lexar® herbicide to
minimize weed competition on the corn acres early in the
season.” Like Thooft, Woodman also rotates corn and soybeans
every year, planting corn hybrids with the Agrisure LL trait –
which tolerates glufosinate herbicide – on the field that was
planted to NK Brand Soybeans with the Roundup Ready trait the
previous year.
“Syngenta developed the AgriEdge Corn Program with solutions for
the grower in mind,” says Pat Steiner, AgriEdge Corn Program
manager with Syngenta. “We know that a grower’s strategy may
vary from year to year or field to field. The variety of weed
control solutions in the
AgriEdge Program helps growers address their agronomic
challenges while gaining an economic advantage through higher
yields and incentives.”
For growers who are committed to a post-only herbicide system,
the 2009 AgriEdge Corn Program added incentives for using Halex™
GT herbicide, a one-pass post-emergence herbicide that combines
glyphosate with residual control. In Syngenta and university
trials, Halex GT gave growers a 7 bu/A and a 5 bu/A advantage
over one application of glyphosate and two applications of
glyphosate, respectively.
“For growers who plant soybeans as part of their rotation, the
AgriEdge Program provides incentives for using Prefix®
pre-emergence herbicide on NK Brand Soybeans that are treated
with a CruiserMaxx® Beans brand insecticide/fungicide seed
treatment,” Steiner adds.
Neither Woodman nor Thooft has seen resistant weeds in their
fields yet, but they strongly believe that being proactive is
paying off in their fields.
“By the time you get resistant weeds, managing the problem will
be as difficult as it is expensive. Following good agronomic
practices now will save me from the more expensive costs of
potentially needing to combat resistance later on,” says
Woodman. “In the near term, the strategy protects the yield
potential of my crops.”
For more information about the 2009 AgriEdge Program or to
download a Program Use Guide, growers should visit
www.AgriEdge.com. Use
guides are also available from authorized Garst®, Golden
Harvest® and NK Seeds dealers or crop protection retailers
www.AgriEdge.com.
Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to
sustainable agriculture through innovative research and
technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and
ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in
2007 were approximately $9.2 billion. Syngenta employs over
21,000 people in more than 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on
the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further
information is available at
www.syngenta.com.
###
Important: Always read and follow label instructions before
buying or using these products. Lexar and Lumax are Restricted
Use Pesticides.
Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. warrants that its products
conform to the chemical description set forth on the products’
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CruiserMaxx® Beans is one or more separately registered products
or combination of products containing the following:
CruiserMaxx; CruiserMaxx and Apron XL®; Cruiser®, Maxim® and
Apron XL; or Cruiser and an ApronMaxx® brand fungicide, such as
ApronMaxx® RTA® + Moly.
AgriEdge®, Agrisure®, Apron XL®, ApronMaxx®, Cruiser®,
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Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark used under a license
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The purchase of NK Brand soybeans with the Roundup Ready trait
includes a limited license under Monsanto Company patents
5,352,605; 5,530,196; 5,717,084; 5,728,924; 5,804,425 and
RE39,247 to produce a single commercial crop. This license does
not extend to the seed from such crop or the progeny thereof for
propagation or seed multiplication. The use of such seed or the
progeny thereof for propagation or seed multiplication or for
the production or development of a different variety of seed
which would be covered by the above listed patents is strictly
prohibited. |
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