AgroPages-DuPont's Zest Herbicide Approved by US EPA for Sorghum-Agricultural news

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A hurdle has been cleared in the ongoing effort to provide over-the-top grass control in grain sorghum. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved registration of the active ingredient nicosulfuron, which is the active ingredient in DuPont's Zest herbicide. That's the product which complements DuPont's Inzen herbicide-tolerant sorghum trait.

This product is the only herbicide technology focused solely on sorghum. It will provide growers with over-the-top grass control for the first time ever. Federal approval is the result of a 10-year partnership between Kansas State University and DuPont Crop Protection with support from the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, the Sorghum Checkoff, and National Sorghum Producers.

"Our industry has worked a long time for this technology," says James Born, NSP board chairman from Booker, Texas. "As growers, we have been entrusted with this new tool to control grass in sorghum. It is critical we provide the stewardship and best-management practices needed to ensure it remains available long-term."

DuPont Pioneer and Advanta US have a joint agreement to commercialize Inzen herbicide-tolerant sorghum. DuPont received registration approval November 10 from the EPA for tolerances to nicosulfuron and rimsulfuron on sorghum varieties containing the DuPont Inzen herbicide-tolerance trait, which is an important first step toward the approval for the herbicide Zest. As new hybrids become available, the sorghum industry will emphasize best-management practices to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of this technology.

"Producer surveys have shown the top hurdle sorghum farmers face in optimizing yields is providing over-the-top grass control," says Tim Lust, NSP and Sorghum Checkoff CEO. “This news is a monumental achievement for our organizations and sorghum farmers across the U.S., and we are excited to see limited quantities of this new technology in the field in 2016.”

"While we don't expect large amounts of the technology to be in fields in 2016, growers will be able to see it in field trials. We look forward to seeing it in growers' hands in 2017," he adds.

Lust says Inzen technology is the first in what the industry hopes will be two or three new technologies to help growers combat weed problems in grain sorghum.