Alta Seeds brings herbicide tolerance to EMPYR Premier Forages

Alta Seeds, the premium seed brand of Advanta US and a leading provider of premium genetics and technology specific to sorghum, announces the first-ever herbicide-tolerant technology available in forage sorghum. Alta Seeds will feature igrowth® technology for pre- and post-emergence weed control applications with IMIFLEX^® Herbicide in its newest forage sorghum hybrid, ADV F8484IG, a hybrid that is a member of EMPYR^® Premier Forages, a complete line of forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids.

In 2020, Alta Seeds was the first to introduce herbicide-tolerant technology for grain sorghum, representing the most significant advancement in the crop since hybridization. For the first time, sorghum growers are able to apply pre- or post-emergent herbicide to control grassy and broadleaf weeds with igrowth hybrids.

The igrowth sorghum system, fully commercialized and adopted on upwards of a half million grain sorghum acres in 2021, will now be widely available for growers' fields in the 2022 growing season in both grain sorghum and forage sorghum hybrids.

“With the current drought impacts throughout the Great Plains, igrowth in EMPYR Premier Forages provides livestock producers with groundbreaking technology to produce high-tonnage forage sorghum, with the added benefit of targeted weed control,” says Mark Kirk, Eastern/Western Regional Account Manager, Alta Seeds. “This medium- to late-season forage hybrid offers growers more value in production of silage forage. ADV F84848IG is an ideal alternative to corn silage, as it offers reduced inputs with high yields plus nutritional content that is competitive with corn silage.”

With the igrowth technology, ADV F8484IG is the first non-GMO herbicide-tolerant technology for forage sorghum. IMIFLEX Herbicide, manufactured by UPL Ltd., is the exclusive imidazolinone herbicide partner for the igrowth system. Approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in December 2020, IMIFLEX is a Group 2 herbicide that provides broad-spectrum, residual control of yield-robbing grass and broadleaf weeds, including lambsquarter, sandbur, morningglory, Texas panicum, crabgrass and foxtail. The igrowth technology allows for clean stand establishment and minimizes competition for water and nutrients, enabling maximum early season growth and weed suppression.

BMR-6 Feed Benefits with Excellent Standability

Not all forage sorghums are equal in performance. EMPYR Premier Forages are top-of-the-line, carefully selected hybrids that consistently outperform and outproduce in field and feed. ADV F8484IG offers good stability and superior aphid protection for growers throughout the Sorghum Belt. ADV F8484IG contains the BMR-6 (brown mid-rib) trait for increased feed palatability and digestibility, supporting more weight gain and milk production in livestock production. In field trials, the hybrid yields forage equal to or greater in feed value than corn silage.

“This hybrid is an ideal selection for producers looking for next-generation technology and superior yield potential,” Kirk adds. “In a drought year like 2021, and the complications that will continue into the next growing season, forage sorghum can be a grower’s first choice for generating feed crop with a quicker turn around with an economic benefit. ADV F8484IG will only improve producer margins by controlling weeds, conserving nutrients and water usage, and improving forage quality with cleaner fields.”

EMPYR offers hybrids that fit a variety of environments, from silage production on the West Coast to haylage in the Upper Midwest, sugarcane aphid tolerance in the mid-South to grazing and dry hay production on the East Coast. Learn more about ADV F8484IG at http://altaseeds.advantaus.com/empyr/empyr-igrowth/ and other available hybrids at www.empyrforages.com.

Advanced Protection with Vertix Seed Treatment

ADV F8484IG seed is protected with Vertix Premier, which combines ipconazole and metalaxyl fungicides to control soil-borne diseases with imidacloprid insecticide to combat early season aphids, chinch bugs, imported fire ants and wireworms. This level of protection also includes flurazole, a safener to pre-emergent Group 15 herbicides.

Experience EMPYR at Virtual Field Day

This innovative product will be revealed to growers during Sorghum Frontiers, a virtual field day experience on November 10, 2021. Visit www.altaseeds.advantaus.com to register online. In-person tours of the EMPYR forages can be seen by contacting your local Alta Seeds retailer.

Contact Alta Seeds for more information about EMPYR Premier Forages.