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Tanner Antonick admits there hasn't been a lot of head-turning innovation in grain sorghum since the first hybrid was introduced in 1956. Here comes igrowth, the first commercially available herbicide-tolerant technology in sorghum.

Antonick, the central U.S. account manager for Alta Seeds, says igrowth provides tolerance to the imidazolinone herbicide family. The non-GMO trait eliminates potential market access restrictions.

Registration is expected in 2020 with seed availability slated for the 2021 growing season. Antonick says the initial launch will have four grain sorghum hybrids with early to medium maturity to fit most soil types. Approximately 20 hybrids are in the igrowth pipeline, including forage sorghum, with adaptability to primary sorghum growing regions.

The new technology provides both preemergence and postemergence options, adding flexibility to a weed-control program. Imidazolinone tackles sorghum's biggest weed problems -- shattercane and johnsongrass. Antonick contends igrowth's strong activity on grassy weeds will encourage growers to take another look at including grain sorghum in crop rotations.

The igrowth technology will include a stewardship program to help maintain the viability of the technology.

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