Like waiting on ketchup to come out of the bottle, FMC Corporation is eagerly anticipating the registration of new pre-plant, pre-emergence and early post Anthem herbicide.
“The label is pending for sometime in the fall of 2012 or into 2013,” FMC Technical Service Representative Joe Reed told me during an interview at the National Farm Machinery Show last week. “As weed resistance becomes a bigger and bigger issue, this is probably the newest of any of the chemistries coming out in herbicides.”
Joe says what is unique about Anthem is that it can be used on both corn and soybeans. “What dovetails nicely with that is the chemistry and its mode of action is very effective on these herbicide-resistant weeds like tall waterhemp, palmer amaranth, mare’s tail, what have you,” he says. They will also have an atrazine formulation of the herbicide called Anthem ATZ that will only be used for corn.
We had a little preview of how Anthem works during the FMC Summer Plot Tour last July.
Listen to or download my interview with Joe from NFMS here: Interview with Joe Reed, FMC
2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album
Just in time for the National Farm Machinery Show this week, FMC Corporation received a U.S. Patent for its Capture® LFR® insecticide formulation.
The patent is called “Insecticidal Compositions Suitable for Use in Preparation of Insecticidal Liquid Fertilizers” and refers to Capture LFR insecticide formulated to directly mix with liquid fertilizers and water, providing optimum compatibility. The “LFR” part stands for Liquid Fertilizer Ready.
I found out more about it during the NFMS from FMC Senior Technical Sales Manager Brent Neuberger. “We’ve designed a formulation that mixes very nicely with liquid fertilizers,” he told me. “So we’re feeding the roots and we’re also protecting the roots from many soil insects.”
Brent says Capture LFR is an ideal tank-mix partner for liquid pop-up fertilizers, as it stays mixed to provide even distribution through various spray systems. “So we’re able to control secondary pests – wireworms, grubs, seed corn maggots – and we’re also able to control corn root worm,” he said.
A video illustrating Capture LFR ready-mixing advantages over other liquid fertilizers is available online.
Listen to or download my interview with Brent here: Interview with Brent Neuberger
2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album
FMC Corporation is helping to educate growers, retailers and crop consultants on soybean best production practices and weed management strategies through its CropPro University: Authority® Herbicide Training Module.
The set of three online training modules available through March 16, giving participants the chance to receive one continuing education unit (CEU) credit upon completion.
“CropPro University is actually an on-line training event that we’ve had for a couple of years now and we’ve expanded that to our soybean management practices for 2012,” said Matt Foster, product manager for FMC Agricultural Products. “To date, we have about 2500 retailers and growers have actually gone on-line to complete the first two modules.” Matt says they are spreading the word about the “cheapest CEU you can earn” this week at the National Farm Machinery Show.
The training provides an in-depth look at the value of weed management, including the benefits of preemergence herbicides and the Authority line of products. “There are four different brands and we’ve got one to fit any soil type or weed spectrum anywhere in the country,” he says. The place to find out more about the CropPro University and FMC Authority® on-line visit www.FMCAuthority.com.
Listen to or download my interview with Matt here: Interview with Matt Foster
2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album
Weed scientists meeting in South Carolina this week got a look at a new product in the BASF Crop Protection pipeline to help in the war against herbicide resistant weeds.
During the 65th Annual Meeting of the Southern Weed Science Society (SWSS), BASF presented research related to Engenia™ herbicide, the company’s next-generation formulation of dicamba.
“Engenia will be an important new tool for soybean growers battling herbicide- resistant weeds, like Palmer amaranth, waterhemp and marestail,” said Paul Rea, Vice President, U.S. Crop Protection, BASF. “Research presented at the half-day symposium at SWSS showed that Engenia will provide a valuable, new herbicide option as part of a comprehensive weed control system to help growers protect their crops from yield-robbing weeds.”
Engenia will be used with the dicamba-tolerant soybean system currently in development. BASF anticipates making the Engenia submission to the regulatory agency in the United States in 2012. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval of Engenia is anticipated prior to commercialization of Monsanto’s Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® dicamba-tolerant soybean system. U.S. commercialization of the new system for soybeans is expected mid-decade with cotton, corn and canola to follow.
At the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) convention last week I had the opportunity to chat with Chris Wharam, a BASF tech services rep with in North Dakota, about how they help farmers and custom applicators in his state.
Chris was already pretty familiar with the crop protection business before he took the job with BASF, since his family owns Valley Sprayers in Park River, ND. Chris also has a master’s degree in plant pathology from North Dakota State University. “In my role with BASF, I get the opportunity to work with many people all throughout agriculture – including growers, retailers, distributors, university folks, consultants,” he said.
One of the things that BASF does to help aerial applicators is sponsor Operation S.A.F.E. (Self-Regulating Application and Flight Efficiency) fly-ins around the country. “It’s an opportunity for applicators to get their equipment calibrated and do pattern tests,” Chris said. “A little over 1200 planes have gone through these SAFE fly-ins, 150 different locations all over the United States.”
Many aerial applicators, like Valley Sprayers, also do custom ground applications for their clients, which Chris says is very important for cereal crop growers in his part of the country. “We often will make an application of Headline in the tank with our herbicide applications in that 3-5 leaf stage, and growers are consistently capturing a 4-6 bushel yield bump with that application,” he explained. “As the season progresses, we have an opportunity to apply fungicide again at the flag leaf time and our products at that time would be TwinLine® or Headline.” Finally, at flowering time, Chris says they have the head scab product called Caramba®, “again growers are consistently capturing anywhere from a 5-10 bushel yield advantage and reducing the toxins associated with scab infections.”
Listen to or download my interview with Chris from NAAA here: Chris Wharam with BASF
2011 NAAA Convention Photo Album
In this week's program you can listen in to my conversation with Bill Howard, Fastline, about their new mobile game app, AgRacer.
