USA - BASF announces Liberty ULTRA Herbicide – Powered by Glu-L Technology

BASF Agricultural Solutions will deliver the first trait-enabled, resolved isomeric postemergence herbicide with its introduction of Liberty^® ULTRA herbicide, powered by Glu-L™ Technology, to the U.S. marketplace.

Liberty ULTRA herbicide will effectively control grasses and tough broadleaf weeds like waterhemp, palmer amaranth, giant ragweed and kochia in glufosinate-tolerant soybeans, cotton, canola, and corn. Registration is anticipated in late 2023, enabling a targeted launch in 2024 and a full launch in 2025.

A chemistry that’s locked and loaded

The introduction of Liberty ULTRA herbicide will pave the way for several Glu-L Technology based premix herbicides to come from BASF within the decade. Glu-L Technology removes the inactive D isomer and concentrates the herbicidally active L isomer to enable a 25% use rate reduction compared to currently available glufosinate herbicides. This innovation packs the power of 32 fluid ounces of Liberty herbicide into a convenient 24 fluid ounces of Liberty ULTRA.

″Liberty ULTRA improves upon the Liberty herbicide formulation to give the American farmer the best Liberty herbicide BASF has ever sold,″ said Liam Vincent, Technical Marketing Manager for BASF. ″The specific combination of solvents and surfactants added to the Liberty herbicide formulation creates a significant weed control advantage over generic glufosinate herbicides.″

The formulation locks more droplets onto weed leaves for better leaf coverage with every pass. Once the leaf is covered, the proprietary formulation has also been shown to drive nearly three times more herbicide into weeds¹ compared to generic glufosinate products.

Built by a brand growers know and trust

Today, Liberty herbicide holds the leadership position in terms of glufosinate weed control efficacy across several traited crops.² Liberty ULTRA herbicide represents a step change in the way glufosinate is manufactured and sold and will eventually replace the racemic mixture of Liberty herbicide.

″Liberty herbicide today is the most broadly enabled and effective knockdown option available across traited row crop acres, and Liberty ULTRA will improve upon that legacy by adding operational convenience and more consistent weed control performance,″ said Matt Malone, senior product manager for BASF.

For more information about Liberty ULTRA Herbicide, powered by Glu-L Technology, contact your local BASF representative or visit liberty-ultra.us.

¹ BASF lab and growth chamber study to evaluate penetration and absorption of glufosinate formulations, 2023. Analysis of active ingredient within the leaves of pigweed 4 hours after glufosinate was applied.

² Claim is derived from the results of herbicide research trials with the following code: MKD-H-2022-D43B-01.0-US. Locations (12): ND (3), NE, MO, VA, MN, OH, IN, MI, IL, IA). Weed Size: 1-8", 5.25" average. Weed Species (41). GPA: 15, Nozzle: Turbo TeeJet, Adjuvants: 1.5-3 lbs AMS/A