AgroPages-Corteva submits novel new pasture herbicide to EPA-Agricultural news

Corteva Agriscience submitted for approval a new selective herbicide for broadleaf weed control on pastureland to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pending EPA registration, this herbicide will provide cattle producers access to a broad-spectrum weed control product that preserves white clover and annual lespedeza — and all their benefits.

Announced during the American Forage & Grassland Council annual conference, ProClova™ herbicide is expected to meet a long-standing need for livestock grazers.

“White clover does so much for forage and livestock production, but it is sensitive to current broadleaf pasture herbicides,” said Jillian Schmiedt, Range & Pasture Category Lead at Corteva Agriscience. “When broadleaf weeds establish, producers don’t have a way to control weeds without also removing white clover. ProClova provides that.”

Multiple years of testing show ProClova provides exceptional, broad-spectrum control of important broadleaf species, including ironweed, cocklebur, wild carrot, buttercup, biennial thistles, ragweeds, plantain, wooly croton, poison hemlock and many others. ProClova will offer several anticipated features, including:

·Preserving white clover and annual lespedeza for an abundant, diverse, quality forage

·Being safe to desirable forage grasses

·Maintaining the benefits white clover and annual lespedeza provide to forage and livestock production

·Controlling a broad-spectrum of weeds in permanent grass pastures, rangeland, hayfields and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres

·Providing an effective, broad-spectrum weed control option for situations such as flexibility in hay marketing and crop rotation, where a nonresidual option is desired

·Having no grazing or manure restrictions and only minimal haying restrictions after application

“Many livestock producers rely on white clover and annual lespedeza in their pastures to improve forage quality for grazing and haying and for what these legumes’ nitrogen-fixing properties bring to soil fertility and health,” said Scott Flynn, Corteva Agriscience Zonal Biology Leader. “Without effective broadleaf weed control, the harm weeds cause to forage production and quality can outweigh the benefits these legumes provide. That can be frustrating.”

Pending EPA registration, ProClova will be the only broad-spectrum herbicide that preserves white clover and annual lespedeza while still controlling broadleaf weeds. Corteva Agriscience expects this to be the fourth new product the company brings to the pasture market in three years.

“During 2018, we introduced MezaVue herbicide as the new standard in pricklypear control, followed by LANDVisor, a digital decision support tool, and then, most recently, DuraCor herbicide, containing the first new active ingredient for pasture broadleaf weed control in more than a decade,” Schmiedt said. “Corteva Agriscience is focused on developing new and better solutions for the challenges beef producers face. We are excited about bringing these new products to market.”

Corteva Agriscience anticipates making ProClova™ herbicide available to livestock producers during 2021.