Get Cereals Weed Control Right the First Time
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Battling marestail is crucial to producing a high-quality barley crop. One North Dakota farmer relies on Pixxaro® EC herbicide with Arylex™ active to tame marestail while managing potential resistance and maintaining crop rotation flexibility.
“Marestail is our No. 1 weed, with kochia coming in a close second,” says Chad Vander Vorst of Strasburg, North Dakota. “The problem is marestail has about 200,000 seeds per plant and it has the ability to rapidly expand across a field.”
Vander Vorst applies a 6-ounce per-acre rate of Pixxaro EC to his barley and wheat crops when the crop is in the two- to four-leaf stage.
Pixxaro EC offers the combination of Arylex active, a new active ingredient developed by Corteva Agriscience, and the trusted molecule fluroxypyr. The result is next-level broadleaf weed control, including exceptional control of tough weeds such as kochia and marestail.
“We spray Pixxaro around the four-leaf stage, and it holds us through to canopy. We also throw in 8 ounces of MCPA for control of mustards and Russian thistle,” Vander Vorst says. “It’s always nice to tank-mix with another active ingredient with a different site of action when you are dealing with weeds that may have developed resistance to some chemistries.”
Because Vander Vorst grows malting barley for Anheuser-Busch, he is unable to use a preharvest burndown herbicide prior to harvest. If weather permits, he makes a fall herbicide treatment to maximize spring weed control efficacy.
“If you don’t get a good fall burndown, you’ll have very heavy marestail pressure at spring planting,” he says. “It is important we get weed control right the first time.”
With heavy Canada thistle pressure this spring, barley shooting through and Canada thistle already advanced, Vander Vorst says, “A 6-ounce rate of Pixxaro took it down. Pixxaro controlled everything that was out there. I was impressed.”
5 Benefits of Pixxaro® EC
In addition to the excellent weed control he gets with Pixxaro EC, Vander Vorst names five other benefits the herbicide offers.
- An additional site of action to minimize the potential for resistance development.
- Crop rotation flexibility to enable farmers to rotate crops. “I need the rotational flexibility that Pixxaro delivers. That’s really important,” Vander Vorst says.
- A low use rate as compared with other cereals herbicides. “You don’t need another tote in the spray trailer because you’ve got less product going out,” Vander Vorst says.
- The ability to tank-mix with other crop protection products, including fungicides and fertilizers.
- Affordability. “Pixxaro is helping us rotate our modes of action, giving us great control, and saving us a little bit of money,” he says.
Elsewhere on his farm, Vander Vorst utilizes Corteva™ Cash to purchase inputs, including DuPont™ Aproach® and Aproach® Prima fungicides, for his Pioneer® brand corn and soybean crops.
“Corteva Cash gives me more buying power. I like that program, and I appreciate the plant health benefits I receive from applying Corteva Agriscience fungicides to my corn and soybeans,” Vander Vorst says.
Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents.
Aproach®, Aproach® Prima and Pixxaro® EC may not be registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Arylex™ is a registered active ingredient. Always read and follow label directions.
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