Valent USA announces EPA registration of Perpetuo herbicide for 2020

The Environmental Protection Agency has registered Perpetuo, a new postemergence residual herbicide from Valent U.S.A. LLC.

Company officials say it provides both burndown and residual control of annual broadleaves and grasses in soybeans and corn. Registered for the 2020 season, Perpetuo brings long-lasting residual control to the postemergence market, says Valent officials.

Perpetuo contains the active ingredient pyroxasulfone, a group 15 herbicide, and flumiclorac, a group 14 herbicide.

“As growers continue to face increasing weed pressure, we are excited to bring this post-applied residual solution to help them protect their crop investment,” said Joe Short, marketing manager with Valent U.S.A. in a company press release. “Valent has a trusted and proven portfolio of crop-protection products for the soybean market, and with the registration of Perpetuo, we are able to offer growers powerful pre-, post-, and post-residual weed-control solutions to protect their yields.” 

Weeds such as waterhemp and Palmer amaranth have a long germination window that can last through late summer. This makes it difficult to control with a single preemergence application. One of the reasons why these weeds are so difficult to manage is that even if the emerged weeds are controlled with a burndown application, germination can still occur prior to canopy closure. If weeds do emerge during this time, they compete with the plant for water and nutrients, robbing the crop of yield potential. This gap in coverage can lead to weed breakthrough that can stunt yields by as much as 10%, according to the Take Action Herbicide Resistance Management Program.

Incorporating a post-applied residual herbicide like Perpetuo into a weed-management program can help stop tough-to-control weeds from emerging, protecting the yield potential, say Valent officials. Perpetuo offers a low-use rate and two effective modes of action that provide burndown and long-lasting residual that can be used in combination with any soybean or corn trait system.