Helena to debut Antares Complete soybean herbicide in USA in 2021

Antares Complete herbicide will debut on U.S. soybean acres in 2021 after recently receiving federal registration from the Environmental Protection Agency. Antares Complete is a new, multi-powered, pre-emergence soybean herbicide from Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC. With three herbicide sites of action in one premix, Antares Complete can be used in soybean cropping systems to eliminate early weed competition with residual control of key broadleaf weeds and grasses, say Helena officials. 

“As an agronomic company, we know early season weed control is where we can make the greatest positive impact for our customers,” says Mark Wayland, manager of herbicide brands at Helena. “With the amount of prevent (planting) acres we’ve seen in recent years, we expect weed banks to be stocked for some time to come. The unique modes of action we’re providing in Antares Complete will give growers the opportunity to strike those weeds preemptively while combating herbicide resistance, which continues to rise at an alarming rate.” 

Antares Complete unites sulfentrazone (Group 14), s-metolachlor (Group 15), and metribuzin (Group 5)  in a concentrated formulation that covers more acres than similar herbicides at equivalent field rates, say Helena officials. It allows soybean growers to maximize weed control while lowering use rates and reducing the need for re-treatments and tank-mixing, say Helena officials. According to Michael Cox, lead researcher on Antares Complete, it’s that optimized ratio of active ingredients that makes Antares Complete a top-performing soybean herbicide.

“We’re completing our fourth year of research on Antares Complete, and in that time, we’ve been able to make sure it’s versatile across a broad range of conditions,” says Cox, crop protection specialist for research and development at Helena. “We’ve evaluated its performance in the field and made the right adjustments in the lab to produce a product that will broaden control of extensive weed populations in soybeans.” 

Antares Complete will be available for the 2021 growing season, pending approval by state regulatory agencies. Customers are encouraged to contact their Helena representative or an authorized Antares Complete dealer to secure their orders now, says company officials. Antares Complete is labeled for use in spring and fall preplant incorporated, pre-plant burndown/surface, and pre-emergence applications in soybeans.