SURFOM^® 8963 – Novel In-can Adjuvant for Glufosinate 420 g/L Liquid Formulations Enhances Performance in the Field

From left to right: 

1. Gabriela Pereira de Almeida, Crop Solutions R&D Researcher at Indorama Ventures

2. Pedro Vinicius Maravilha Mendes, Crop Solutions R&D Chemist at Indorama Ventures

3. Murillo Hortolan Gonçalves, Crop Solutions Marketing Analyst at Indorama Ventures

4. Edson Braz Pitta, Global Crop Solutions Marketing Manager at Indorama Ventures

The global population is on a steady rise, placing immense pressure on our agricultural sector to maximize yields. This urges for the adoption of innovative technologies and improved weed management strategies. While glyphosate has long been the herbicide of choice, the emergence of resistant weeds has created a new challenge.

Glufosinate has emerged as a powerful solution against glyphosate-resistant weeds along with those resistant to ALS herbicides. However, traditional liquid formulations limit the concentration of glufosinate at 200 to 280g/L, requiring larger doses and consequently larger product volumes for application.

Increasing the concentration of glufosinate in liquid formulations has been a challenge for several years, but formulators struggle as the proportion of surfactant to active in formulation is rather high – usually 240 g/L or more of anionic alkyl ether surfactants in the standard glufosinate loads – and increasing the load reduces greatly the space for water in the formulation.

Here's where Indorama Ventures' novel SURFOM^® 8963 adjuvant comes in. This game-changing technology allows for significantly higher glufosinate concentrations of up to 420 g/L in the formulation, as suggested in Table 1.

Table 1: Suggested formulation for Glufosinate-ammonium 420 g/L SL.

SURFOM^® 8963 is an innovative solution based on a synergistic combination of an amphoteric surfactant that acts as an uptake enhancer and a hydrotrope that works as compatibilizer agent for the high electrolyte content ensuring the formulation’s stability and tank mix compatibility in association with water conditioners such as ammonium sulphate. 

Its low viscosity, low foaming and GHS-friendly profile makes SURFOM^® 8963 a safe and easy to handle product for formulators, and its glufosinate formula is a great solution for farmers, delivering several key benefits, such as:

1. Enhanced weed control

Field trials in Brazil have demonstrated that SURFOM^® 8963 delivers an outstanding performance in weed control efficacy of up to 20% when compared to leading benchmarks. This translates to cleaner fields and higher crop yields. 

All benchmarks were commercial formulations of Glufosinate 200 g/L and the results are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Percentage of weed control of Glufosinate 420 g/L formulation containing SURFOM^® 8963 compared to three benchmark formulations of glufosinate 200 g/L in Brazil. Statistical groupings according to Scott-Knott analysis at 5% significance level. DAA: Days after application.

All treatments applied the same final active concentration, adjusted for 600 g/ha of glufosinate, showing the superior performance of the formulation with SURFOM^® 8963.

Environmental variables significantly influence the performance of glufosinate, a fact well recognized by formulators and farmers. To delve deeper into the robustness of SURFOM^® 8963, additional field trials were conducted in the United States. These trials were conducted against liquid benchmarks of 280 g/L glufosinate, as depicted in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Percentage of weed control of Glufosinate 420 g/L formulation containing SURFOM^® 8963 compared to three benchmarks of 280g/L liquid glufosinate formulations in the United States.

This time, statistical evaluation of the results has shown that all samples have similar performance in weed control despite the reduced volume needed of the formulation containing SURFOM^® 8963 to achieve the same spray tank concentration (655 g/ha of glufosinate) as the benchmarks with 280g/L.

2. Reduced logistics costs

The ability to use higher concentrations of glufosinate with SURFOM^® 8963 means lower formulation volume is needed to achieve the desired weed control as seen in the field trials. This translates to significant reduction in packaging volumes, transportation, storage, and consequently in cost savings for farmers, allowing them to stretch their resources further.

3. Sustainable practices

By requiring less formulation volume, SURFOM^® 8963 contributes to a smaller carbon footprint. Less packaging waste is generated, and transportation efficiency is improved due to the reduced volume required. This aligns perfectly with the growing focus on sustainable agricultural practices.

SURFOM^® 8963 represents a significant leap forward in glufosinate formulation technology. With its ability in helping deliver great weed control, reduce costs, and promote sustainable practices, SURFOM^® 8963 is a new tool for formulators worldwide. If you're looking to maximize your weed control and resistance management and contribute to reduce environmental impacts in agriculture, contact Indorama Ventures today to learn more about this new formulation technology.

About Indorama Ventures

Indorama Ventures is a world-class sustainable chemical company, with global integrated leadership in PET and fibers, serving key customers across various end-use markets. As one of the world's leading petrochemical producers, it operates in 35 countries, employing approximately 26,000 employees and boasting 148 industrial facilities across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region. The company operates in three business segments: Combined PET, Fibers, and Indovinya, which was recently renamed from the Integrated Oxides and Derivatives business.

Company website address: https://indovinya.indoramaventures.com

Email: https://indovinya.indoramaventures.com/us/en/contact/

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