Syngenta Crop Protection's Lumax and Lexar herbicides and Quilt fungicide have received federal registration for use in grain sorghum from the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Expanding these top-performing products for use in grain sorghum represents our commitment to the American sorghum grower,” said Travis Dickinson, head of marketing for Syngenta Crop Protection.

“Just as they have delivered top performance and value in other crops, sorghum growers will now be able to use these solutions for enhanced productivity.”

Lumax herbicide received registration for use in grain sorghum in Nebraska and Kansas in 2008, but the recent approval will expand its use to all states where Lumax is registered. This is a new EPA crop registration for Lexar in grain sorghum.

“Applied pre-emergence, Lumax and Lexar will control yield-robbing weeds before they emerge and deliver long-lasting residual to prevent weed competition through canopy closure,” said Carroll Moseley, herbicide brand manager for Syngenta Crop Protection. “This will ultimately protect grain sorghum yield potential.”

Phil Stahlman, weed scientist at Kansas State University, has conducted research on grain sorghum for 30 years. He said the weed control exhibited by Lumax and Lexar has been “quite exceptional.”

“Lumax and Lexar contain multiple modes of action for highly effective control of problem broadleaf weeds and grasses including those resistant to glyphosate, ALS-inhibiting and triazine herbicides such as waterhemp, Palmer amaranth and kochia,” Stahlman said.

“We haven't had a lot of new developments in grain sorghum in several years, so getting these two products registered for use in sorghum is the most exciting thing that's happened for weed management in sorghum in a long time.”

The registration of Quilt fungicide provides growers with two modes of action for broad-spectrum disease control in grain sorghum, which represents another major development for the sorghum industry.

Quilt combines two active ingredients, azoxystrobin and propiconazole, to provide both preventive and curative control of foliar diseases. Its two modes of action help prevent resistance and provide sustainable disease control. In sorghum, Quilt will provide control of anthracnose, gray leaf spot and ergot.

“Sorghum growers can now look forward to the long-lasting, broad-spectrum disease control that Quilt has provided in corn and wheat for years,” said Eric Tedford, fungicide technical brand manager for Syngenta Crop Protection. “Quilt helps maximize plant performance, resulting in healthier plants, increased yield and better harvest to help increase a grower's return on investment

While Lumax and Lexar herbicide and Quilt fungicide have received federal registration from the EPA, state registrations are still pending. Growers should check with their state or local Extension service before buying or using these products. In the state of Texas, Lumax and Lexar will only be registered for use in sorghum grown north of Interstate 20 or west of Highway 277.

More information is available from sales representatives, the Syngenta Customer Center at (866) 796-4368), or at www.farmassist.com.