Stepan Company: STEPGROW^® GL 104 XTRA, a Premium Adjuvant for Enhanced Glufosinate Ammonium Performance

Jason Chen
Market Manager, Stepan Agricultural Solutions – Asia Pacific

PENETRATION A KEY FOR GLUFOSINATE AMMNONIUM

 
Glufosinate ammonium is a non-systemic herbicide with high activity, low toxicity and a good environmental compatibility profile. According to the Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals under the Ministry of Agricultural (ICAMA), there were nearly 400 companies that have registered glufosinate ammonium formulations in China as of 2021.¹ However, the efficacy of these varies significantly from product to product. The recent commercialization of a more efficacious L-glufosinate will make the competition more intense.²

Three main factors that affect the efficacy of glufosinate ammonium are:

• the concentration of L-glufosinate;

• targeted weeds’ absorption rate of the active ingredient; and

• the weather and environment.

Improving the absorption rate is critical to glufosinate ammonium herbicide performance and easiest of the three main factors to control. This can be done by using a synergistic adjuvant to improve the active’s penetration.

Sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) is the most common adjuvant used for glufosinate ammonium soluble liquid (SL) formulations due to its good water solubility and hard water tolerance. Its wetting property is also known to enhance the spreading of actives. However, SLES-based adjuvants do not enhance pesticidal actives penetration and thus, may impact field performance. Also, sulfates are known to cause a certain degree of skin and eye irritation.³ Finally, SLES is highly viscous, making it difficult to handle during the formulation process.

To address the challenge of actives penetration, Stepan Agricultural Solutions has developed STEPGROW^® GL 104 XTRA through years of laboratory and field trials. It is a proprietary surfactant blend designed for use in glufosinate ammonium soluble liquid (SL) formulations. This specially-formulated adjuvant provides excellent wetting and penetration properties to boost field performance against troublesome weeds.

GOOD FORMULATION STABILITY

STEPGROW GL 104 XTRA exhibited good formulation stability across all conditions in Stepan’s internal laboratory studies. Both finished products of glufosinate ammonium 150 g/L and 200 g/L SL remained clear and flowable at 54°C after 14 days of storage and no sedimentation or phase separation was observed (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Stability performance of glufosinate ammonium 150 g/L and 200 g/L SL formulations with STEPGROW GL 104 XTRA.

SUPERIOR FIELD PERFORMANCE

Glufosinate ammonium 200 g/L SL formulated with STEPGROW GL 104 XTRA showed excellent performance against goosegrass (Eleusine indica) and barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) in citrus field trials conducted in China. Thirty days after one application, the formulation with STEPGROW GL 104 XTRA exhibited the highest performance against goosegrass, superior to the global leading brand and two local industrial standards (see Figure 2). It also had comparable efficacy against barnyard grass compared to the global leading brand and had better efficacy compared to local industry standards.  STEPGROW GL 104 XTRA also demonstrated superb performance compared to the global leading brand and local industry standards in controlling major sedges and broadleaf weeds, including rice galingale (Cyperus iria), alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) and button burweed (Soliva anthemifolia).

Figure 2. Field efficacy of glufosinate ammonium 200 g/L SL formulations against weeds in the citrus field.

A PREMIUM SOLUTION TO IMPROVE YOUR GLUFOSINATE FORMULATIONS

Using STEPGROW GL 104 XTRA in glufosinate formulations reduces the use of chemicals that are harmful to the environment, enhances performance and differentiates the product from the rest of the generic glufosinate ammonium market.

Stepan Agricultural Solutions is dedicated to providing innovative and sustainable solutions to help formulators and farmers address their environmental concerns and are actively seeking to cultivate strategic partnerships based on creative problem solving and customized solutions.

Stepan Agricultural Solutions is here to help you grow through science.

Visit Stepan Agricultural Solutions to learn more.

References:
¹ http://www.icama.org.cn/
² https://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---41587-e.htm
³ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12641575/

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