Crowded Premix Corn Chemistry Market

ORLANDO, Fla. (DTN) -- Corn growers in search of options for controlling troublesome herbicide-resistant weeds such as waterhemp and Palmer amaranth will have their choice of several new premix chemistries in 2023 and 2024.

At least five manufacturers -- BASF, Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta and Valent -- touted new products in the corn herbicide category at the 2023 Commodity Classic in Orlando, Florida. While none of the offerings feature new active ingredients or modes of action, each represents a unique combination of existing actives that can be applied pre-plant, pre-emergence or postemergence to various corn growth stages.

Though the chemical combinations may be different, they share common goals for growers: Increase residual control of weeds early in the growing season and prevent the development of herbicide resistance.

Here's a quick rundown on each new product, beginning with those available to farmers for the 2023 growing season:

TRIVOLT (BAYER)

As its name implies, TriVolt brings together a combination of three active ingredients with three different modes of action: flufenacet (Group 15), isoxaflutole (Group 27) and thiencarbazone-methyl (Group 2). The safener cyprosulfamide is also included in the mix.

During a session at Commodity Classic, John Buol, North America technical manager for selective herbicides at Bayer, said that the formulation offers broad control of both grassy and broadleaf weed species and is labeled for use pre-plant, pre-emergence and early post-emergence up to V2 growth stage.

"When combined with atrazine, you've got four modes of action, so that's a really wonderful herbicide resistance management tool," he said, noting that the isoxaflutole will reactivate with as little as a half inch of rain. "You'll get some reach back control from that."

Bayer claims that TriVolt provides burndown and residual activity for up to eight weeks in a variety of weather conditions. Terry Habrock, a farmer from Lively Grove, Illinois, applied TriVolt pre-emergence on his farm in 2022 as part of a Bayer field trial.

"I got chased out of the field by a 2-inch rain, and usually, that's a recipe for disaster," he said, "but it held very well."

MAVERICK (VALENT)

Representing Valent's first entry into the corn herbicide market, Maverick also is a premix combining three active ingredients with three different modes of action: clopyralid (Group 4), mesotrione (Group 27) and pyroxasulfone (Group 15). It is compatible with atrazine.

Application can occur pre-plant, pre-emergence or postemergence up to 18 inches tall or the V6 growth stage. It is labeled for field corn, seed corn, silage corn and yellow popcorn.

John Pawlak, Valent's senior product development manager, said Maverick offers broad spectrum control of annual grasses as well as large- and small-seeded broadleaf weeds. He noted the product's low-use rate offers growers an advantage.

"A lot of the other premium corn products have relatively high use rates," Pawlak explained. "Maverick's highest rate is 32 fluid ounces per acre, whereas some of the other corn products are up to three quarts per acre. So, in the heat of the season when growers need to get things mixed up and applied in a very short timeframe, that's an advantage."

KYRO (CORTEVA)

Available in limited supply for the 2023 growing season, Kyro is a premix, post-emergence corn herbicide that is the first product on the market to combine the active ingredients acetochlor (Group 15), topramezone (Group 27) and clopyralid (Group 4). According to Corteva, it can be applied on corn up to 24 inches tall and controls more than 65 grass and broadleaf weeds, including waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, giant ragweed, marestail, barnyardgrass, fall panicum and woolly cupgrass.

"We are thrilled to add another innovative solution to our portfolio of powerful, flexible corn herbicides," said Kelly White, U.S. product manager for corn herbicides at Corteva. "Kyro herbicide is a unique offering for the market that will help control troublesome weeds, including glyphosate- and/or ALS-resistant weeds. By using Kyro herbicide, corn farmers can help keep their fields clean late into the season for optimum yield potential -- and prevent and mitigate weed resistance."

Growers can opt to use Kyro as part of a two-pass program, applying Corteva's Resicore XL pre-emergence and Kyro post-emergence. The premix herbicide is compatible with a wide array of tank-mix partners, including atrazine, glyphosate, fungicides, insecticides and micronutrients.

STOREN (SYNGENTA)

Expected to be available in 2024, Storen contains four active ingredients and two modes of action: bicyclopyrone and mesotrione (Group 27) and S-metolachlor and pyroxasulfone (Group 15), along with crop safener, benoxacor in one premix.

According to Mark Kitt, technical product lead for Syngenta corn herbicides, Storen will be labeled for both pre-emergence and postemergence use in seed corn and field corn up to V8 growth stage. In popcorn and sweet corn, it will only be labeled for pre-plant and pre-emergence use.

Storen will have 74 weeds listed on the label that will be controlled or partially controlled, including barnyardgrass, foxtail species, waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, giant ragweed, common ragweed, Russian thistle, cocklebur and morning glory species.

"In our R&D work, Soren provides up to three weeks longer residual control than the competitive standards in the marketplace, all the way out to 64 to 70 days after treatment," Kitt said during an announcement event at Commodity Classic. "We believe that Storen, because of its residual power for both pigweeds and a broad-spectrum activity, will provide that next-level weed control."

SURTAIN (BASF)

Also expected to be available in 2024 is Surtain, which brings together two active ingredients, saflufenacil (Group 14) and pyroxasulfone (Group 15), using solid encapsulation technology, which BASF said is a first in herbicides.

More than a decade ago, the company began looking for a way to stretch the residual power of Kixor herbicide, sold under the brand name Sharpen, by widening its use beyond pre-emergence.

"It's been a staple in our portfolio for many years and it also has some very unique properties," said Wade Firestone, BASF technical marketing manager. "The challenge was how do we highlight the residual control properties of this product and gain flexibility through encapsulation."

Surtain can be used up to V3 growth stage or roughly three weeks after planting. While the company points to residual control or suppression of 79 grass and broadleaf weeds, Surtain is being marketed as having excellent control of waterhemp and giant ragweed. Surtain is compatible with normal spray applications and liquid fertilizer products such UAN (urea ammonium nitrate) and ATS (ammonium thiosulfate).

Jason Jenkins can be reached at jason.jenkins@dtn.com

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