Weeds are still the number one enemy of growers, costing some $95 billion a year in lost global food production. But this new year brings a new herbicide technology that kicks weed control up to a whole new level.

BASF Kixor herbicide technology was approved for use just as the 2009 season was coming to an end, so growers can plan now to identify their weed control challenges and modify their weed control program for cleaner fields in 2010.

Dr. Dan Westberg is the Kixor Man at BASF and I talked to him back in November at the NAFB Trade Talk but have been saving that interview for the new year since the harvest was running so late. There is still some corn left in the fields, but most growers can now start thinking seriously about the 2010 season with 2009 behind them. Dr. Dan says Kixor-powered products offer growers a chance for a clean start in 2010. “Start clean next spring, making sure they get excellent burndown of any emerged broadleaf weeds, particularly glyphosate-resistant marestail,” Dan said. “Because if you are in soybeans and you do not get control of glyphosate-resistant marestail in your pre-plant burndown, your solutions for an in-crop application are really limited.”

BASF has four new products powered by Kixor technology – Integrity for corn, Optill for soybeans, Sharpen for both corn and soybeans as well as a number of other crops, and Treevix for fruit and nut tree crops.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Dan here: