This buyers' guide appears in the April 2018 issue of Potato Grower.
As every grower knows, weeds can be harsh, nasty and unforgiving, in spite of warm, cuddly-sounding names like morning glory, marestail and lambsquarter. It takes serious work and planning to make sure your potatoes live in comfort and aren’t crowded out of their rightful space. Our herbicide buyers’ guide is here to help you make the most well-informed decision possible when it comes to weed control this season.
BASF
(973) 245-6000
www.GrowSmartPotatoes.com
Outlook
Outlook herbicide provides potato growers with powerful, consistent control of grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds that can impact their crop. The pre-emergent herbicide should be applied between planting and crop emergence to reduce early-season competition and ensure the potato crop gets off to a strong start. Applications before weeds germinate can control a wide spectrum of weed species, including nightshades, lambsquarters, pigweeds and many others.
Aside from providing residual control of weeds, Outlook herbicide also binds more tightly to the soil to minimize leaching, even under the wettest conditions. Additionally, Outlook washes off residue more readily in all tillage systems.
BioSafe Systems
(888) 273-3088
www.biosafesystems.com/axxe
AXXE Broad-Spectrum Herbicide
BioSafe Systems’ AXXE broad-spectrum herbicide is an ideal weed control option for potato growers. This non-selective weed control is formulated to deliver maximum performance and provide fast-acting results on a long list of weeds and grasses. An herbicidal soap product comprised of a form of ammoniated pelargonic salts, AXXE is able to penetrate plant cell walls, killing weeds within hours of application. As an added bonus, AXXE can be used as a desiccant at harvest.
Gowan Company
(800) 883-1844
www.gowanco.com
Eptam 7E
Eptam 7E is a trusted selective herbicide used in potatoes, dry beans, alfalfa and other crops. Its superior crop safety gives growers the security to know they’ll get the best yield potential from their potatoes, where other herbicides may take a piece of that yield. It also has excellent plant-back timing (45 days maximum), so growers don’t have to worry about next year’s rotation.
Eptam 7E has excellent control on annual grasses, some perennial weeds and key broadleaf weeds like hairy nightshade, pigweed, common lambsquarters and sedges. It forms a barrier that disrupts seedling shoot development by inhibiting the lipid synthesis, thus preventing the seedling development and emergence. Weeds that do emerge are weakened and more susceptible to post-emergence chemistries.
Eptam’s application flexibility allows use as a pre-plant incorporated, post-plant incorporated, and post-emergence layby treatment to control the weed seedbank before they emerge. It can be applied either by ground spray or chemigation.
Eptam 7E is a Group 8 herbicide in the thiocarbamate class.
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Vida is a PPO, Group 14 herbicide. It inhibits weeds’ ability to produce protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) and acts as a burner to actively growing broadleaf weeds.
Its tank-mix flexibility allows for a choice of other burndown chemistries. It is also compatible with most adjuvants. Adding AMS and an NIS, COC, or MSO boosts the control.
Vida can be used as a pre-plant burndown, at planting, or post-plant pre-emergence for potatoes. It has a flexible plant-back of zero to one day on an assortment of labeled crops, and a 30-day plant-back for unlabeled crops.
Vida provides extensive broadleaf weed control; the list gets even longer when mixed a selected tank-mix partner. The additional benefit of adding Vida to a program is its control on glyphosate- and ALS-resistant weeds.
Helm Agro US
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www.helmagro.com
Helmet
The Helmet family of herbicides from Helm Agro provide outstanding grass and small-seeded broadleaf control on potatoes. A popular chemistry, Helmet products deliver broad-spectrum, cost-competitive weed control equivalent in performance to market leaders. Available in two convenient EC formulations, Helmet products can be applied pre-plant on-surface, PPI, pre-emergent and post-emergent. Helmet herbicide (metolachlor with benoxacor safener) hosts 7.8 pounds of active ingredient per gallon. Helmet SPC herbicide (metolachlor without safener) hosts 8 pounds of active ingredient per gallon.
Helmquat 3SL
Targeting the most difficult to manage weeds, Helmquat 3SL helps give fields a clean start at planting to get them on their way. Approved for use on potatoes, Helmquat 3SL delivers fast, versatile and highly effective burndown of emerged grasses and broadleaves. As a broad spectrum, non-selective, burndown herbicide, Helmquat 3SL is an excellent alternative to market leaders—delivering equivalent performance at a value that ultimately saves growers money.
Max Systems, LLC
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979-5121
www.maxsystemsag.com
Regulator 3.0 Concentrate
Regulator 3.0 is the only water conditioner of its kind, tapping the power of carbon to enhance a spray’s effectiveness. Whether applying a pesticide or foliar fertilizer, adding Regulator 3.0 to the spray tank first will lower the water’s pH to the optimum level. If pH is above 7.0, a spray could be losing 30 to 50 percent its effectiveness.
Inside spray tanks, the carbon molecules in Regulator 3.0 bond to the chemical molecules in the pesticide or fertilizer. As a salt-free water conditioner, Regulator 3.0 maintains open leaf pores and delivers spray products into and throughout plants. The carbon molecules in Regulator 3.0 move faster through plants than the salts contained in other spray additives, which means that the spray works quickly and more effectively. Plus, the energy, oxygen and carbon found in Regulator 3.0 stimulate plant growth and feed beneficial aerobic bacteria in the soil.
As with all Max Systems products, Regulator 3.0 works with nature to make your farm more productive.
Oro Agri
(559) 442-4996
www.oroagriusa.com
ORO-RZ
ORO-RZ soil adjuvant is a great tank mix partner with pre-emergent herbicides for improving weed control. It improves soil hydraulic conductivity, even in hydroscopic soils, to move the herbicide solution into soil pore spaces, increasing contact with weed seeds and laying down a uniform blanket of weed control. It helps prevent gaps in the layer of pre-emergent herbicide and reduces weed escapes. ORO-RZ is also a great addition to soil-applied fungicide and insecticide applications. It allows the fungicide or insecticide to surround and protect seeds and roots from disease or insect damage.
Wetcit
Wetcit foliar adjuvant is an excellent tank mix partner for post-emergent herbicide sprays. Used at lower rates, it is an excellent spreader for contact herbicides. Used at higher rates, Wetcit, now with TransPhloem technology, is a superior penetrant with faster delivery of active ingredients to target sites within plants compared to other adjuvants such as crop oils, methylated seed oils, high surfactant methylated seed oils, and non-ionic surfactants. This means Wetcit improves the efficacy of systemic herbicides, like Roundup, compared to these other types of adjuvants. Using Wetcit simplifies choosing the right adjuvant for the job and eliminates the need to have several adjuvant products on hand.
Westbridge Agricultural Products
(800) 876-2767
www.westbridge.com
marketing@westbridge.com
Suppress Herbicide EC
Suppress Herbicide EC is a highly effective, EPA-registered tool for weed management programs. It is registered as a broad-spectrum contact herbicide for post-emergent, non-selective weed control for use in and around all food and non-food crops. Westbridge’s proprietary formulation is an emulsifiable concentrate that is OMRI- and WSDA-pproved for use in certified organic food production.
Suppress Herbicide EC helps organic growers meet their production goals, and it is an excellent option for conventional growers to use as a rotational herbicide where weeds have become resistant to other chemical herbicides.
Suppress Herbicide EC has proven efficacy in years of university research and field trials. This low-foaming, easy-to-use herbicide has no pre-harvest interval, will not volatilize, and provides rapid, effective control on various weeds.