FMC’s Anthem Flex herbicide label expanded to pulse crops, soybeans, and sunflowers

Date:03-20-2020

Lentils, dry peas, chickpeas, soybeans, and sunflowers are now part of the label for FMC’s Anthem Flex herbicide. Labeled for preplant and preemergence applications in those crops.

Anthem Flex herbicide provides strong residual control of grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds with burndown activity on emerged broadleaf weeds, according to FMC officials. Anthem Flex also provides excellent crop safety and plant-back flexibility. The active ingredients in Anthem Flex herbicide are pyroxasulfone (Group 15) and carfentrazone-ethyl (Group 14).

Anthem Flex herbicide is effective on key weeds including Italian ryegrass, rattail fescue, yellow and green foxtail, barnyardgrass, pigweed, waterhemp, and Palmer amaranth, says FMC officials. It also provides suppression of kochia, they add.     

“The expanded label is a welcome addition in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains,” said Kirk Sager, technical service manager for FMC, in an FMC news release. “Pulse growers and lentil growers in particular have limited options for broad-spectrum residual weed controls.

“Most of the herbicides labeled for these crops don’t control grasses, and they must be fall applied or incorporated to ensure activation in dry climates,” Sager added. “In contrast, Anthem Flex herbicide does not require incorporation and can be applied to pulse crops in the fall or in the spring prior to crop emergence for long residual control of grasses and broadleaf weeds. Growers get consistent weed control without the hassle of incorporation, crop response or rotational restrictions.”

Use rates range from 2 ounces to 7.3 ounces per acre depending on soil type and organic matter, said FMC officials. The higher rates provide improved levels of control of labeled weeds and increased suppression of weeds such as kochia and wild oats, they add.

 “Higher rates of Anthem Flex herbicide are allowed in pulse crops than in wheat so growers can get more horsepower in the ground to control Group 2 resistant grasses and high populations of troublesome weeds,” said Sager in an FMC news release.

Anthem Flex herbicide uses a different mode of action than traditional postemergence grass herbicides so it’s a good tool for resistance management in yellow and green foxtail, barnyardgrass, and Italian ryegrass, said FMC officials.

Anthem Flex herbicide is compatible with commonly used fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and adjuvants. It can be tank mixed with Spartan Charge herbicide to round out broadleaf weed control in dry peas and chickpeas. In lentils, metribuzin and linuron are good tank-mix partners, said FMC officials.

Anthem Flex herbicide also received a label for postemergence applications in peanuts, and it continues to be labeled for use in spring wheat, winter wheat, fallow, corn and cotton, said FMC officials.