In 2012, growers will have new fungicide and seed treatment options, as well as an array of weed control products for preseason and in-season control of broadleaves and grasses. Several products are still awaiting EPA approval, but their registration is expected in time for the 2012 planting season.

Valent

Fierce is a preemergence herbicide (pyroxasulfone and flumioxazin) for use in soybeans and reduced-tillage field corn. It has shown residual control of tough weeds, including weeds like glyphosate-, ALS- and triazine-resistant Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, and annual grasses. Valent anticipates EPA registration for this growing season.

Dormark fungicide, which controls a broad spectrum of soybean diseases, is now registered in corn. Dormark is a triazole chemistry and has both systemic and contact activity. It is effective on leaf spots (gray leaf spot, eyespot), rusts (common, southern) and leaf blights (anthracnose, northern corn leaf blight and southern corn leaf blight) in corn.

Zeal miticide offers control of spider, red and Banks mites on numerous crops. Registration for corn is expected in 2012.

Bayer CropScience

Bayer CropScience launched Poncho/Votivo last year for the corn market, and it will be available for soybean producers this year. Poncho/Votivo is a combination insecticide and biological seed treatment that, when applied to seed, controls certain early-season insects and protects the plant from nematodes.

As a result of the dual protection, plant vigor also improves, Bayer says. In soybeans, Poncho/Votivo controls insects, including early-season aphids, overwintering bean leaf beetle and seed corn maggot.

Autumn Super herbicide (iodosulfuron and thiencarbazone) was labeled late in 2011 and controls winter annual weeds on acres planted to either corn or soybeans for the upcoming planting season. Application timing is after annual weeds have emerged and are actively growing. Application can be made in the fall until early spring but must be complete 30 days before planting corn and 90 days before planting soybeans.

Syngenta

Zemax herbicide from Syngenta contains two modes of action (mesotrione and S-metolachlor) for residual control of grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds such as waterhemp, pigweeds and ragweeds. It helps manage weed biotypes tolerant or resistant to glyphosate, ALS-inhibiting, PPO and triazine herbicides. Application can be from early preplant or preemergence up to 30-in. corn. It is expected to be registered for use in crops including field corn and seed corn.

Newly registered Touchdown CT2 herbicide delivers down-to-the-roots, systemic control of a broad spectrum of emerged annual and perennial grass as well as broadleaf weeds in a wide range of crops. Touchdown CT2 can reduce the need for tillage, and growers can use it as a harvest aid to get certain crops out of the field more quickly. Touchdown CT2 contains a built-in adjuvant and offers reduced foaming.

Gramoxone SL herbicide is a new formulation of Gramoxone with increased mixing compatibility and improved handling characteristics. It offers broad-spectrum control of weeds and grasses, including those with resistance to other herbicides. The new formulation contains the same concentration of paraquat as Gramoxone Inteon, but without the Inteon (alginate) technology. Gramoxone SL will replace Gramoxone Inteon, which will no longer be produced.

CruiserMaxx Advanced is an insecticide/fungicide seed treatment for soybeans. It is a new formulation that joins the CruiserMaxx Beans brand family and offers the same benefits of CruiserMaxx Plus insecticide/fungicide seed treatment with an additional technology that delivers improved application characteristics with less sticking and bridging of wet seed.

BASF

Priaxor fungicide is a new row-crop product that will be powered by the active ingredient Xemium fungicide. BASF expects Priaxor to be registered for this growing season and to be labeled for use in a number of crops, including soybeans and corn. Priaxor combines the active ingredient in Headline fungicide with Xemium to provide continuous protection and consistent performance. Research results from 2011 found that Priaxor provides control of diseases such as frogeye leaf spot and Septoria brown spot in soybeans. BASF also reports that Priaxor controls gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf spot in corn.

OpTill PRO herbicide will be a premium residual option (PRO) herbicide to battle grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds, particularly glyphosate-resistant waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. It combines OpTill herbicide with the active ingredient in Outlook herbicide. Three sites of action provide burndown plus residual control of grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds such as glyphosate-resistant waterhemp. BASF expects EPA registration for the 2012 growing season.

Zidua herbicide is a new soil-applied herbicide containing the active ingredient pyroxasulfone. A new class of chemistry, Zidua offers residual control of small-seeded broadleaf weeds and grasses, including glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth and waterhemp. BASF expects EPA registration this year.

DuPont

Basis Blend herbicide replaces DuPont Basis 75DF herbicide this year. Basis Blend is offered in an improved dry-blended formulation, which dissolves more completely than Basis 75DF for more effective burndown and residual control of glyphosate-tolerant and glyphosate-resistant weeds, plus other key weeds, including dandelion, poison hemlock, annual bluegrass, henbit and other winter annuals. It can be applied any time after harvest, but before ground freeze.

Monsanto

Soybean producers will be able to get Poncho/Votivo in combination with Monsanto’s Acceleron seed treatment products for broad protection against seed/seedling diseases, early-season insect pests and nematodes. (Poncho/Votivo is from Bayer CropScience, and the Acceleron seed treatment is a Monsanto product.) It will be available for this upcoming planting season.

MANA Crop Protection

Incognito fungicide contains the active ingredient thiophanate-methyl and controls a variety of diseases in soybeans, such as white mold, frogeye leaf spot, and rusts. Incognito can be tankmixed with a variety of other fungicides in support of resistance management.

Parallel Plus herbicide on corn hosts two modes of action to provide preemergent and early postemergent control of grasses, pigweeds, waterhemp and other small-seeded broadleaves, including glyphosate-resistant species. It can be used as part of a two-pass program on Roundup Ready, Clearfield and LibertyLink corn as well as conventional seed varieties. Parallel Plus has improved material suspension during winter storage, requires less time in handling and mixing, and has greater compatibility with water and nitrogen solutions.

Bumper VC fungicide, hosting a new formulation of propiconazole for use on corn, soybeans and wheat, will be introduced in 2012. Bumper VC offers both preventative and curative disease management properties for controlling a wide variety of diseases.

FMC

FMC expects registration of its Anthem herbicide in late 2012. Anthem is a mix of two modes of action (pyroxasulfone and fluthiacet-methyl) and offers the flexibility of being both a pre- and postemergence product for corn and soybeans. FMC says the residual action of Anthem lasts two to three weeks longer than typical products. Anthem delivers a broad spectrum of weed control, including key glyphosate-, ALS- and triazine-resistant biotypes while also working well on difficult grasses and broadleaf weeds.

FMC also is seeking registration of Anthem ATZ, which contains atrazine, for use in corn only. The premix formulation offers additional control of weeds like cocklebur and velvetleaf.

Dow AgroSciences

Dow AgroSciences anticipates registration of Transform WG insecticide for this crop season. It will offer growers control of soybean aphids at a low use rate with low impact on beneficial insects. Transform is the first molecule to be developed in a new class of chemistry — the sulfoximines — making it an important resistance management tool for growers.

Although it won’t be available until the 2013 crop season, expect to read a lot about Enlist Duo, the herbicide component of the Enlist weed control system from Dow AgroSciences. Enlist Duo will be a postemergence product for use over the top of crops with the Enlist trait. It will offer a combination of glyphosate and a new 2,4-D. Colex-D technology, a technology package featured in Enlist Duo, is comprised of 2,4-D choline, the latest in formulation science.