New Pangaea water softener boosts glyphosate's field performance

By Ken Fletcher

A NEW patented water conditioning formulation based on ammonium sulphate and plant based conditioners is a specialist at optimising glyphosate performance in the field.

Pangaea Biosciences has developed Whiplash (patent pending) to be sold via its Farm Saver trading arm. Its registered use is in optimising glyphosate use by ameliorating the adverse effects of water hardness.

In 'hard' water areas, the water can contain high levels of charged dissolved cations, including calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and manganese, and is found in most key arable farming areas. Glyphosate is well known to bind into a strong complex with these harmful cations, forming a complex which cannot be taken up by the target weeds.

A water conditioner mitigates the effects of hard water, or softens the water by sequestering the harmful cations and predisposing target weeds to a more rapid and efficient uptake of glyphosate. Water conditioners, such as Whiplash, are widely used with glyphosate to increase field performance when added to the tank before the glyphosate.

Whiplash will also lower the pH of the spray solution, said Pangaea, minimising the alkaline hydrolysis reaction which de-activates the active ingredient. It also helps reduce foaming.

″Use Whiplash at 0.5% v/v in the spray solution. If you are spraying at 200 litres of water per hectare add in 1 litre of Whiplash," said John Edmonds, global product development and regulatory manager for Pangaea Biosciences.

"If spraying at lower water volumes, such as 100 litres of water, then add in 0.5 l/ha of Whiplash. Add the required amount of ith to the tank half filled with water and with the recirculation system in action. Top up the tank to the required level with water and add the glyphosate,″ he added.

The plant-based ingredients compliment the water softening action of ammonium sulphate by also binding to hard water cations.