Dow AgroSciences announced today that it has received federal registration for SureStart™ herbicide, a new soil-applied foundation herbicide specifically designed for use in Roundup Ready® corn.

Developed for the way growers prefer to control weeds in Roundup Ready corn, SureStart provides consistent, broad-spectrum control of early emerging grasses and both small- and large-seeded broadleaf weeds for up to six weeks.

“Because it can be applied from preplant up to 11-inch-tall corn, SureStart provides Roundup Ready corn a clean start from grasses and broadleaf weeds. University trials have shown these weeds compete for moisture, sunlight and nutrients, which reduce the yield and profit potential of corn,” says Damon Palmer, product manager for Dow AgroSciences. “SureStart truly fits what growers need to complement glyphosate in a Roundup Ready system.”

Three modes of action enable SureStart to deliver control of a broad spectrum of difficult-to-control grasses and broadleaf weeds, including lambsquarters, waterhemp, pigweed, common and giant ragweed, nightshade, velvetleaf, foxtails, crabgrass, barnyardgrass and many more.

In 2006 trials conducted throughout the Corn Belt, SureStart herbicide provided superior control of more weed species than commonly used foundation treatments in Roundup Ready corn (Table 1).

Table 1. Weed control efficacy of SureStart™ herbicide

Bruce Maddy, product technology specialist for Dow AgroSciences, recommends applying 1.5 to 2 pts./A of SureStart as a preemergence application, though its flexibility allows applications any time from preplant up to 11-inch-tall corn.

“The use of SureStart is a critical first step in a two-pass program,” Maddy says. “It allows growers to follow with a single post glyphosate application at a labeled rate to later-emerging weeds that are smaller, more uniform and easier to control.”

Maddy adds that SureStart helps growers manage the risk of yield loss associated with delayed glyphosate applications due to weather conditions or equipment problems. Data from 35 experiments in nine states over the course of two years found that a soil-applied herbicide followed by glyphosate yielded 7 percent more than a post treatment of glyphosate alone*.

For example, if a grower expects corn yields of 200 bu./A by protecting his crop with a soil-applied product like SureStart, he could lose 14 bu./A, on average, by attempting to control weeds with a single post glyphosate spray. At today’s $3/bu. corn prices, growers can increase their gross revenue potential by more than $40/A by using a soil-applied product like SureStart herbicide.

Maddy adds that with its three active ingredients, SureStart is the ideal tool growers can use to break the cycle of continual glyphosate use that has led to numerous weeds having been identified as either resistant or tolerant to glyphosate throughout the Corn Belt – weeds like marestail, waterhemp, lambsquarters, plus common and giant ragweed.

“The corn herbicide market is changing drastically with the rapid adoption of traits. After listening to growers and projecting future needs to maximize their production in Roundup Ready corn, we are excited to introduce SureStart herbicide,” Palmer says. “SureStart will assist in the maximization of yield through broad-spectrum foundation weed control and help growers combat the increasing glyphosate resistance and tolerance problems that continue to plague growers’ acres.”

To learn more about SureStart herbicide