Broadleaf herbicide will help wheat growers manage resistance

If researchers designed the ideal environment in which to test a new herbicide for cereals, it might look a lot like the central plains. From blistering heat to bone-chilling cold, and from drought to flooding, the unpredictable weather in the region can put any product to the test.

Bayer CropScience has done exactly that with new Huskie herbicide, which represents the first significant new mode of action for broadleaf weed control in wheat, durum and barley in more than 20 years. Dr. Dallas Peterson, Extension Weed Scientist at Kansas State University, said the product addresses several key weed-control concerns on the plains.

"There definitely is a need for a new mode of action for broadleaf weed control in the small grains market," he said. "We continue to see more cases of ALS-resistant weeds, such as bushy wallflower, flixweed and, of course, kochia and Russian thistle. Huskie provides good control of these species and with a different mode of action for broadleaf weed control."

Mary Paulsgrove, Product Development Manager for Cereal Herbicides at Bayer headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C., said this new mode of action makes Huskie a powerful resistance-management tool.

"Unlike many herbicides, which are using the same mode of action over and over, this truly is a novel mode of action for cereals," she said. "Bayer is committed to finding innovative solutions, and Huskie is the result of a huge global effort."

The active ingredient, pyrasulfotole, quickly shuts down a weed's photosynthetic process to control 50 hard-to-manage broadleaf weeds and suppress 20 others. Huskie also provides supplemental weed control for some weed species several weeks following application, suppressing later weed flushes.

Huskie helps central plains growers improve their weed management programs in several ways.

"The key to avoiding resistance is to not rely on any one product or mode of action within a given field," Peterson said. "Growers need to avoid using herbicides with the same mode of action over and over."

The only problem is that growers have gone through a number of years without having a new mode of action in their broadleaf weed programs. As a result, widespread resistance has developed to several herbicides, such as ALS-inhibitors.

"Most kochia, for example, is becoming ALS-resistant," Paulsgrove said. "Reduced herbicide performance can have a significant impact on yields, because uncontrolled weeds compete with wheat for nutrients, moisture and sunlight."

Huskie, with its innovative new mode of action, helps break the cycle of resistance. It controls the toughest broadleaf weeds, including kochia, Russian thistle, redroot pigweed and many others, regardless of possible herbicide resistance issues.

A proprietary safener in Huskie accelerates metabolism of the herbicide in small grains but not in susceptible weed species. Huskie has been field-tested throughout North America in hundreds of locations. As with all herbicides, extreme environmental conditions can influence crop tolerance. However, in a wide range of field tests, there has been no evidence of burning, flashing, shortening or head malformation.

Crop rotation flexibility is an important management tool in today's economic environment, Paulsgrove said.

"With high commodity prices, it's important to have flexible crop rotation options," she said. "If anything gives you heartburn in product development, it's making sure you have the rotations right, and Huskie has been thoroughly field tested and will offer an excellent choice of rotational options."

Rapid microbial breakdown of Huskie in the soil allows for rotation to most crops in four to nine months following application.

These production benefits have been documented in ongoing research across the central plains. Peterson has tested Huskie for the past two years in research plots in Manhattan, Kan.

"We had certain weed species in our plots, such as henbit, bushy wallflower and blue mustard," he said. "Huskie, in a tankmix with 2,4-D or MCPA, does a nice job of controlling all of those weeds in both fall and spring applications. We found that it probably works best if applied when both the crop and weeds are actively growing."

Paulsgrove agreed. "We knew when we took the product into winter cereals that it would require a tankmix partner under certain conditions," she said. "Right now, the best partner for broad-spectrum control in the central plains seems to be MCPA."

As with any new product, Peterson encouraged growers to experiment with Huskie to see how it fits best with their own environmental conditions and agronomic practices. "The grower should always try a new product on a test basis to get a comfort level with it," he said.

"Clearly, growers need to assess their weed problems and see where it is the best fit and where it will provide the best return on investment," Paulsgrove said.

Although Peterson has been impressed by what he has found in his plots, he also is eager to see how Huskie performs under a wider range of conditions. "We need to expand our experience as far as control of different weed species," he said. "I also look forward to seeing how it will perform at different times of year under different environmental conditions."

5/12/08
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Date: 5/6/08

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