I have had a chance to see both my and much of Jason Norsworthy’s rice plot work this year, and I am pretty excited about what I have seen. New chemistries are on the way that will be game-changers. One of these products is Dow’s new compound Loyant.

Loyant is an auxin-inhibitor in the same group of chemistry as Facet and 2, 4-D; however, it has a unique site of action. One way we know this is that it has been shown to control Facet-resistant barnyardgrass. New modes of action are sorely needed in rice production today, just like they are for pigweed control in soybean and cotton.

Loyant has a broad spectrum of activity that includes control of annual and yellow nutsedge as well as barnyardgrass and broadleaf signalgrass, and it give good suppression of sprangletop. In addition, Loyant controls a very broad spectrum of broadleaf and aquatic weeds. In fact, I have really only looked at one other compound that can hold back broadleaves in open water as well as Loyant can.

Although it is not known for its residual control, in our ducksalad plots last year and this year (conducted in the absence of rice), the Loyant plots typically stayed cleaner longer than other commonly used aquatic programs.

Application Recommendations

Loyant will primarily be applied pre-flood at 1 pint per acre. It will be important to wait no longer than about seven days to establish a permanent flood after application. After application, weeds will typically wilt; once the flood hits the wilted plants, they die. Symptomology includes swollen stems at the base of the plant near the soil line that eventually snap or “sluff-off” when the water is applied.

Although it does not appear to be a bad “drifter,” you will need to keep it off soybeans.

Loyant is not a standalone product, but in a program that involves a good upfront residual herbicide or early-post application, it will significantly improve the lives of those dealing with ALS-resistant sedges and barnyardgrass. It looks good following a pre application of Command and Facet or an early post propanil-based treatment with some residual.

Because it controls these ALS-resistant weeds and has activity on hemp sesbania and jointvetch, Loyant will be an excellent tank-mix partner with Newpath in Clearfield rice. A program approach of Command pre, followed by Newpath and Loyant would provide three effective modes of action on most grass weeds.

It appears that the full label will not be obtained until the 2018 season. Currently the proposed label will have a 60-day pre-harvest interval and a limit of 2 pints per acre per year and will allow for tank-mixes with most translocated herbicides. This, of course, may change between now and the spring of 2018.

This product will aid in that age-old quandary that comes as we dry up fields for pre-flood nitrogen. Do I spray when it’s dry and hope for the best? Do I spray and flush, flush and spray or fertilize flood and then try and kill weeds post flood? Loyant will give you an option under moderate moisture conditions to spray, fertilize and flood up on weeds.

We appreciate Dow Chemical Company for giving the university an important first look at this product prior to introduction into the market. It helps us to make sound recommendations from day one once a registration is granted.

Our rice research program is funded by the Arkansas Rice Promotion Board and this support as well as Dow’s is greatly appreciated.