Features Herbicides Seed & Chemical
Window still open to protect corn yields from weed competition

May 22, 2012, Mississauga, ON - Whether they planted field, seed or sweet corn, growers who decided to get their corn crop in and have not yet applied an herbicide still have an opportunity to protect their yield from weed competition.

"This spring gave growers a chance to plant their corn earlier than usual, but letting weeds compete through early crop emergence will sacrifice yield," says Andrew Elgersma, Marketing Manager for Eastern Herbicides at BASF.

For growers who did not apply a pre-emerge herbicide, options are still available to control weeds. Applying a post-emerge herbicide can manage existing weeds and provide residual weed control for later germinating weeds. Growers should consider using an herbicide that delivers activity on multiple weed types to maximize the application, such as ARMEZONTM from BASF. It provides knockdown on both grasses and broadleaf weeds and is safe for use on field, seed and sweet corn.

"ARMEZON is a crop safety specialist, so it's a great option for post-emergent applications on any corn crop," says Elgersma. "It has a low-use rate, can be tank mixed with either atrazine or glyphosate and atrazine for application flexibility, and has no high temperature concerns during application."

To address resistance and performance concerns, growers should consider using multiple modes of action in their herbicide application. ARMEZON tank mixed with atrazine incorporates two modes of action with Group 5 and 27 activity, which will increase effectiveness on resistant types, including glyhposate-tolerant weeds.

"Seed and sweet corn can be especially challenging crops to keep weed-free," says Elgersma. "Having a product like ARMEZON to provide grass and broadleaf activity up to the 7-leaf corn stage is critical."

ARMEZON is registered on field, seed and sweet corn in Eastern Canada. It delivers a high level of crop safety, and features a low-use rate of only 15 mL/ac.

For more information on ARMEZON on corn, visit www.AgSolutions.ca.