Crops Briefs: New herbicides, insecticide available for soybeans

FMC Agricultural Products Group introduces Marvel herbicide for soybean growers. Marvel provides growers with a more aggressive tank-mix partner for maximum post-emergence control of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

"Glyphosate resistance continues to make weed control more difficult," said Brent Neuberger, FMC Agricultural Products North America technical service advisor for Marvel herbicide. "Marvel herbicide was designed as a premix to offer a broader spectrum postemergence herbicide that provides growers with an excellent product to fit into their weed management programs."

With speed and use flexibility, Marvel herbicide controls resistant broadleaves such as waterhemp, palmer pigweed, lambsquarters, morningglory and velvetleaf. As a result, visual control symptoms can be seen in as quickly as 24 hours. This ideal tank-mix partner can be used from preplant to full flowering.

Capture LFR insecticide expands to soybeans

Capture LFR insecticide, by FMC Agricultural Products Group, is now available for use on soybeans.

"This label expansion will enable growers to do more to protect their soybean seed. For years, growers have had great success with Capture LFR insecticide in corn," said Adam Prestegord, FMC Agricultural Products North America product manager. "Now, those same great results will transition to soybeans and provide growers with a strong in-furrow zone of protection to get their crop off to a stronger start."

Capture LFR insecticide is a unique at-plant, liquid insecticide that has been proven to significantly increase corn yields. It works by eliminating soil pests before they bite and damage Bt or seed-treated crops. Without seed injury, seedlings develop truly robust root systems and strong stands that transfer more yield-producing energy.

Zidua herbicide receives federal registration for soybeans

BASF's Crop Protection division announced the federal registration of Zidua herbicide in soybeans, to battle small-seeded broadleaf weeds and grasses.
According to 10 years of research and field trials, the residual weed control provided by Zidua lasts up to two weeks longer than other herbicides currently on the market, which helps protect growers' yield potential.Research also shows Zidua herbicide provides up to 10 percent better performance than other residual herbicides in controlling Palmer amaranth and waterhemp.

"Zidua herbicide provides growers with a new class of chemistry and is an excellent product on its own, but can also be used effectively with Kixor herbicide technology," said Greg Armel, technical market manager for BASF.

Zidua can be tank-mixed with Kixor technology products to form a preplant and pre-emerge combination that combats tough, resistant weeds with up to three different sites of action. Zidua can also be applied with a range of use rates, allowing soybean growers to select the best rate for their specific needs, based on soil textures in their fields.

Zidua herbicide affords a wide application window from fall through early preplant to early post-emergence. It is labeled for use in corn and soybeans. Future label expansions are being developed for use in cotton and wheat, and being evaluated for uses in sunflowers, mint, peanuts and other crops.

Balance GT soybean expected for 2015

MS Technologies and Bayer CropScience announced their newest collaboration: the Balance GT Soybean Performance System. Balance GT soybeans will give growers an alternative that combines high-yielding elite genetics with a double herbicide-tolerant trait stack.

MS Technologies and Bayer CropScience intend to broadly license the Balance GT system throughout the United States and Canada for the 2015 season, said Lauren August, brand manager for MS Technologies in Clive, Iowa. Balance GT features tolerance to both glyphosate and isoxaflutole, the chemistry in the new Balance Bean herbicide, coupled with genetics that provide no yield lag or drag.

FieldWatch created to support sensitive crops registry

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - DriftWatch, a voluntary online registry program created by Purdue University Agriculture and Biological Engineering has been given a new home with a new company, FieldWatch Inc., which will lead to a nationwide online crop registry for high-value pesticide sensitive crops.

The university's successful web-based program, launched in Indiana in 2008, has been effective in allowing farmers and applicators to identify, map and communicate where high-value pesticide-sensitive crops are being grown as part of ongoing stewardship activities. Drift-watch has quickly caught the attention of other state departments of agriculture and has currently been adopted by nine states, primarily in the Midwest, plus Colorado and Montana. The states provide a key leadership role in implementing and administering this effective stewardship communication tool.

To support the rapid growth outside of Indiana, Purdue collaborated with other agricultural stakeholder groups to create a non-profit corporation, FieldWatch Inc., in December. The new company, which is located off-campus at the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, has since assumed the operational responsibilities of DriftWatch. This now includes directing the transition of the website and database from the Purdue IT environment to a secure private IT services provider while also developing a national software platform from which to grow the utilization of the DriftWatch tool.

USDA approves Duracade trait from Syngenta

Syngenta announced that USDA has deregulated the Agrisure Duracade trait, clearing the way for sales and planting of the new technology in the United States. With its unique mode of action, Agrisure Duracade will be combined with the Agrisure RW trait to provide dual modes of action on corn rootworm, the single most destructive pest in corn production.

"This is a real landmark for Syngenta in terms of how we can better equip corn growers to regain control of their crops," said David Morgan, president of Syngenta Seeds Inc. and Syngenta North America region director. "Deregulation means that a new standard in corn rootworm control is now available. Additionally, Agrisure Duracade will be stacked with other traits to offer more effective management of a broad range of pests and help keep trait technologies durable for years to come."

Agrisure Duracade expresses eCry3.1Ab protein to deliver protection against Western corn rootworm (WCRW), Northern corn rootworm (NCRW) and Mexican corn rootworm. In Syngenta and university research trials, the trait has demonstrated a high level of efficacy in controlling corn rootworm. USDA research has reported that the trait delivers the highest reduction in beetle emergence (99.79 percent) of any commercial CRW trait.

The Agrisure Duracade trait will be used to create integrated, single bag refuge offerings currently in regulatory review. Hybrids containing the trait will be available to growers in the 2014 planting season.