USA - FMC talks herbicide management, new sunflower treatment at Commodity Classic

During the Commodity Classic trade show at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on March 10, FMC experts discussed herbicide management tips as well as a new insecticide/fungicide the company is offering to farmers in 2022.

“This year is unique,” said Drake Copeland, FMC technical service manager. “There are a lot of post-emergence chemistries out there that are great for combating and resisting weeds, but there are also a lot of supply issues – just like with everything else this season.”

Copeland says a goal of FMC is to keep farmers driven toward a residual program.

“Before Roundup Ready, guys used residuals,” he said. “It’s kind of getting back to the basics. We want to focus on chemistries that provide control in the soil so that those weeds don’t emerge. If we utilize tools to get to those weeds before they emerge, we’re getting ahead of the game.”

Farmers may feel like they’re out there spraying bare ground, but Copeland pointed out that when at ground level, you’ll see inch-tall weeds out there.

“If you can’t see them from your sprayer cab, you think you’re wasting money, but the reality is, from a resistance standpoint, you’re actually getting more effective control spraying early. That’s what we want to be doing,” he explained.

With input costs for 2022 where they are, Copeland says a big mistake he sees farmers making is trying to save money by spreading inputs further.

“That’s something we absolutely need to stay away from,” he said. “When we cut rates, you’re just exposing all these weeds to sub-lethal doses. You may control a percentage of that population, but you’re exposing the rest of the population to a sub-lethal rate.

That means the seed that can come from that for years to come can be more tolerant,” Copeland continued. “It creates a huge issue from a sustainability standpoint of your own farm. It’s the resistance treadmill. Once you get that going, it’s never works out in the long run. There are places to cut costs, but when it comes to weed control, we’ve seen over the past 20 years that’s not the place you want to be in.”

New sunflower treatment

FMC’s Capture LFR insecticide and Ethos XB insecticide/fungicide have received new registrations to help sunflower growers.

“We got that registration earlier this year and I think it’s going to be a nice benefit for sunflower growers,” said Gail Stratman, FMC regional technical service manager.

He says one of the challenges for sunflowers, especially in a no-till environment, is getting an established, uniform stand.

“It’s pretty critical in maximizing that yield potential,” Stratman said. “For a long time, we’ve had Capture LFR/Ethos in corn and it’s provided that wireworm and white grub control, as well as improved standability of that crop, to ensure we get that maximum seed placement and seed count up during planting.”

FMC is very excited to have this product out for 2022.

“It’s an in-furrow product, and you can apply it with starter fertilizer or with water,” he explained.

Wireworm pressure has been on the increase over the last several years, especially with drier conditions in no-till environments.

“Wireworms and white grubs seem to be more of an issue in that sort of environment, so this product is something growers have been looking for,” he said. “The National Sunflower Association has been working with us for several years to help get this product registered, and now we have it available for growers.”