The pressure is on to cut input costs in crop budgets. List price for generic herbicides will be cheaper. So, should you leave name brands on your dealer’s shelves and take home generic brands?

“Many growers may stick with products that have worked if they have problem weeds or issues with tar spot,” says Betsy Bower, Lafayette, Ind., an agronomist who worked with farmers facing pesticide choices for over two decades. “Then they may consider generics for other situations. There are more farmers looking at generics now.”

Bill Johnson, Purdue Extension weed control specialist, agrees with that assessment. “There is a fit for generics, but farmers need to ask themselves several questions,” he says.

Here are five questions Johnson, Bower and others suggest asking before locking in generics:

1. Do you have a driver weed? For many people, it is waterhemp, says Jeff Nagel, an agronomist with Keystone Cooperative from Lafayette, Ind.

“If you are battling a tough weed like waterhemp, you may think more carefully about what products you add in your tank and what changes you make,” Nagel says. “That would be especially true if what you are doing now is working.”

2. Can you test generics in strip trials before making a major change? Horacio Lopez-Nicora examines various products, especially in his work with soybean diseases. The Ohio State University Extension plant pathologist emphasizes that if you try generics because you are looking for less expensive options, compare them in the field to your standard treatments. Set up trials so you have yield results and comparisons next fall.

Related:Importance of selecting the right soybean seed treatments

3. Will generic pesticides behave the same in the spray tank? By definition, generics have the same active ingredient as the brand name product. The company selling a generic product can sell it cheaper because the active ingredient is now off-label. However, U.S. EPA still requires a label for each generic. Obtaining it is usually a shorter process.

While the active ingredient is the same, formulations may be different. “Some formulations dissolve better and have improved mixing properties compared to others,” Johnson says. “Quality of the formulation can be a big deal, both for how it mixes and for consistent performance of weed control in the field.”

4. What else is in the jug? Branded products often include surfactants, additives or other ingredients with the active ingredient. If a company includes another ingredient besides the active one, it is often because research indicates it improves performance.

Related:3 keys to reducing spray drift

“You want to know what else is in the jug besides the active ingredient,” Bower says. “You may not be getting the same additive as with a different product. This can make a big difference in how products mix and perform, so you want to know upfront.”

5. Are respray guarantees and company programs affected? Major chemical companies often offer bundling options to customers who buy various products during the year, Johnson says.

“Check to make sure what you will save on generics more than offsets what you might give up with these programs,” he explains. “The bigger concern might be respraying. Will you have any financial help on respraying if the generic herbicide application fails?”