By the Editors of No-Till Farmer

Weed Control

BASF unveils Liberty ULTRA with GLU-L Technology, a new post-emergence knock-down tool for weed control in glufosinate-tolerant canola, corn, cotton and soybean.

This first trait-enabled resolved isomeric product effectively controls grasses and tough broadleaf weeds like waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, giant ragweed and kochia.

BASF says Liberty ULTRA’s formulation paves the way for several GLU-L premix herbicides to come over the next several years using the technology that removes the inactive D isomer and concentrates the herbicidally active L isomer to enable a 25% rate reduction when compared with available glufosinate herbicides. The development allows 24 ounces of Liberty ULTRA to pack the power of 32 ounces of traditional Liberty.

The new formulation also includes specific solvents and surfactants to improve performance over generic glufosinate herbicides by locking more droplets onto weed leaves, driving up to three times more active ingredient into the plant compared to generics, according to company studies.

Belchim Crop Protection USA is marketing TOUGH 5EC for 2024 as a tank-mix option with Group 6 herbicide action for which there is no known resistance in field corn, seed corn and popcorn. It’s used when treating for common waterhemp, kochia, Palmer amaranth, common ragweed and giant ragweed.

TOUGH 5EC’s active ingredients, pyridate and mesotrione, supply a PSII Inhibitor, a somewhat underused mode of action. The PSII Inhibitor works as a contact herbicide to stimulate response to HPPD products and boosts control when using atrazine, glyphosate and glufosinate. The company says the…