A new corn herbicide is being launched for 2024 by BASF to help fight weeds and improve corn yields.
“This will be the first solid encapsulation herbicide technology that will be available for the market,” says Wade Firestone, U.S. Crop Protection Manager with BASF, talking about their new Surtain™ corn herbicide, which the company is gearing up to make available for next year’s growing season pending EPA approval. Surtain™ was first announced to the public during the 2023 Commodity Classic in Orlando, Florida.
What is it about Surtain™ herbicide that will set it apart from other corn herbicides?
“The first thing is residual endurance—so up to eight weeks of control from a residual endurance standpoint on weeds like Palmer amaranth and waterhemp,” according to Firestone. “It’s also the first unique chemistry combo with a solid encapsulation technology from a herbicide standpoint. What this does is allows us to increase our ability to apply these residual PPOs in corn. Traditionally we’ve had to stop as that crop emerged, but this allows us the opportunity to apply up to three weeks after that.”
Firestone says another benefit is its flexibility.
“The flexibility isn’t just from an application standpoint, but the flexibility to choose the right tank makes partner for your acre,” says Firestone. “There is also flexibility to not be reliant on certain active ingredients—and the flexibility to use with products like UAN and ATS.”
He says Surtain™ handles tough-to-control weeds beyond waterhemp and Palmer amaranth.
“We’re also highly effective on weeds like Giant Ragweed and we’re also highly effective on weeds like grasses, so we have a very broad spectrum of control.”
Firestone adds that Surtain™ corn herbicide is the result of many years of research and development at BASF.
“We’ve been working on this product for over a decade at this point,” says Firestone. “We’ve had over a hundred different lab trials, over 300 different research and development trials alongside our biology counterparts, and over 5,200 different treatments trying to fine tune this technology to make sure we’re delivering the right solution to the farmer.”
Even though the product is still pending approval, you’ll have the chance this year to see some trial results of Surtain™.
“We will have this product at multiple universities. We will also have it at our showcase plots and many tech service trials out there in 2023, so if corn producers want to see Surtain™ in action, I would ask them to reach out to their local BASF representative.”
Click BELOW to hear C.J. Miller’s news report and interview with Wade Firestone, U.S. Crop Protection Manager with BASF, as he discusses the launch of Surtain™ corn herbicide that is expected for the 2024 growing season.
