DuPont launches new Imprelis

About 100 lawn care operators gathered on the Gulf Coast of Florida in January to learn more about Imprelis, DuPont Professional Products’ latest introduction in the herbicide segment.

The introduction of Imprelis post-emergent broadleaf herbicide adds to DuPont’s expanding portfolio of green industry products and offers LCOs a high level of control with a reduced environmental impact.

“We’ve all seen this trend for a long time. Consumers want high-performance, high-quality products that have improved environmental profiles,” said Mike McDermott, DuPont’s global business manager.

Imprelis herbicide controls a wide range of broadleaf weeds with a new active ingredient – aptexor – and a new subclass of the carboxylic acid herbicides. The new AI allows LCOs to control weeds with much smaller applications of product: 4.5 fluid ounces (or 0.07 lbs.) per acre.
 

HOW IT WORKS.
Bruce Steward, turf and ornamental product development manager for DuPont, said LCOs can “sometimes feel like you’re somewhat handcuffed” when it comes to broadleaf weed control – they’ve got to factor in temperature and weather restrictions, mowing and reseeding timing when considering what to apply and when to apply it.

Imprelis offers LCOs the following benefits:

•They can reseed immediately before or after (on cool-season grasses).
•The application is rainfast immediately. Rainfall or irrigation is not going to hurt the product. “It’s actually going to help it” get to roots better, Steward said.
•There are no restrictions on temperature during application.
•The herbicide is safe on cool season and some warm season grasses.
•Limited PPE is required – no goggles or gloves.
•The herbicide controls common and hard-to-control weeds in three to four weeks and is active at very low concentrations, Steward said.
 

IN THE FIELD.
Since 2006, universities and lawn care operators have completed more than 400 field trials with Imprelis. Mark Utendorf, owner of Emerald Lawn Care in Arlington Heights, Ill., spoke to meeting attendees about his experience using the new product to handle wild violets and creeping Charlie (ground ivy) in nearly 30 suburban Chicago lawns.

“If violets and creeping Charlie are problems, I would definitely do it. The results we saw were great,” Utendorf said, citing Imprelis’ near-perfect control of the two hard-to-control weeds.

He said he also liked the low application rate, which means he no longer has to buy and store 55-gallon barrels of product, or pallets of other supplements to target specific weeds.

“The joy of this product is you don’t have to screw around,” he said.

Utendorf uses the reduced environmental footprint – less product applied and less plastic waste from bottles – as green messaging on his website, in phone messages and on invoices left with customers. “We’re definitely talking about it,” he said.