Albaugh discusses 2018 trials of CoAXium Wheat System

Date:11-08-2018

Albaugh announced that the CoAXium Wheat Production System driven by Aggressor herbicide exceeded expectations in 2018 performance evaluation trials, demonstrating visibly superior control of feral rye (cereal rye), downy brome and jointed goatgrass.

The new CoAXium technology co-launched by wheat experts Albaugh LLC, Colorado Wheat Research Foundation and Limagrain Cereals Seeds, delivered cleaner fields all season and higher yields at harvest in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Oregon, Nebraska and Washington, according to Albaugh.

In a Ritzville, Washington, plot with heavy pressure from a natural feral rye population, CoAXium™ varieties treated with 10 oz/acre Aggressor™ yielded 64.7 bu/acre with 0% foreign matter. The untreated check variety, in comparison, yielded 42.5 bu/acre with 40% foreign matter from feral rye seed in the sample. With a price per bushel of $6.42, the treated plot returned $415.37 per acre gross revenue, versus a $212.50 per acre return from the untreated feral rye check plot.

Montana State University (MSU) and Oregon State University (OSU) conducted CoAXiumTM Wheat Production System trials with equally impressive results. In Bozeman, Montana, high pressure from feral rye was obvious in an untreated plot planted next to a plot of CoAXiumTM wheat treated with 10 oz/acre of Aggressor™ herbicide. The treated wheat yielded 98.3 bushels/acre — 44.1 more than the untreated check. In Pendleton, Oregon, the untreated plot presented a trifecta of winter annual weeds: downy brome, jointed goatgrass and feral (cereal) rye. The CoAXium™ plot treated with 10 oz/acre of Aggressor™ herbicide out-yielded the untreated check by nearly 30 percent — 103.2 bu/acre versus 79.5 bu/acre.

“These CoAXium™ Wheat Production System plots, driven by Aggressor™ herbicide and powered by the AXigen™ trait, performed extremely well across eight key winter wheat producing states by targeting tough-to-control winter annual grassy weeds,” asserts Chad Shelton, Director of Global Proprietary Products at Albaugh. “The performance of Aggressor™ herbicide within CoAXium™ Wheat Production System is delivering a new tool to growers to help increase weed control performance and return on investment. We are very proud and excited to bring this high performing technology to wheat farmers.”

“It has been encouraging to talk with growers who participated in CoAXium™ Wheat Production System trials,” said Brad Erker, Executive Director at Colorado Wheat Research Foundation. “They are so pleased to finally have a wheat production system that consistently controls winter annual grassy weeds in wheat. Farmers asked for a simple, cost-effective wheat production system that combined elite wheat varieties, a patented non-GMO herbicide-tolerance trait and a new post-emergent ACCase grass herbicide. Now they’ve got it.”

“These are exciting times for wheat farmers and the developers of CoAXium™ Wheat Production System,” adds Dr. Mike Flowers, Product Development and Trait Manager at Limagrain Cereals Seeds. “Stewarding this new technology is critical. As a part of the stewardship process, growers must execute a Grower Stewardship Agreement prior to purchasing seed of a CoAXium™ wheat variety. Growers are also expected to follow the Grower Stewardship Guidelines when producing CoAXium™ wheat. Following these stewardship principles will maximize the efficacy of this system and prevent the development of herbicide resistance in grassy weeds.”

In 2018, information on the technology and performance of the CoAXium™ Wheat Production System was shared with more than 1,700 wheat farmers and retailers at 40+ events from May to August. The untreated checks suffered from severe grassy weed infestations, while the CoAXium™ Wheat Production System consistently controlled weeds resulting in cleaner fields and significantly higher yields.