Most cereal growers now rely on the lasting control of premium pre-emergent annual ryegrass herbicides to set up a successful season. In the last 18 months BASF have released two new ‘blockbuster’ products that have widened that pre-plant application window to include an entirely new mode of action for ARG control and a uniquely versatile new broadleaf weed herbicide. Together they can help you extend your chemical rotation and achieve more comprehensive weed control.
The launch of Luximax® in 2019 introduced the first new mode of action for herbicides in a generation. As the one and only ‘cineole’ FAT inhibitor, Luximax is literally in a class of its own: the newly created Group T.
“What's really exciting about Luximax is that new mode of action,” says BASF Area Sales Manager Murray McCartney, “so it’s controlling ryegrass biotypes with resistance to current modes of action in the market now.”
Not that you need to be already having trouble with resistant weeds to get great value from Luximax. It’s competitively priced and will match or in some instances better the performance of whatever you’re using now, so you can add it to the herbicide rotation options in wheat with the aim of slowing the development of resistance to those other herbicides without any loss of control.
“In grower-scale demos and replicated trials from York to Yuna we’ve seen consistently high levels of ryegrass control standalone or in tank-mixtures, comparable to the current standard,” Murray says. Grower experience last year backed that up.
You’ll get your first chance to try BASF’s other new product, Voraxor®, this year. The simplest way to sum it up is that it can fill some important gaps in your pre-plant and pre-emergent weed control program.
Voraxor’s main role is delivering robust pre-emergent residual control of key broadleaf weeds in cereals for up to 12 weeks following incorporation by sowing with knife-points and press wheels. That use pattern is backed by the Voraxor Satisfaction Guarantee, which reflects BASF’s enormous confidence in the product. (You can check the full terms and conditions on the BASF website.)
And Voraxor offers some very handy fringe benefits as well. It will also control young broadleaf weeds that have already emerged when you apply it in the pre-em window. If your pre-em tank-mix includes glyphosate or paraquat, Voraxor will complement them to knock down glyphosate-resistant ARG.
If you’re using Voraxor on light-textured soils, its registration for residual suppression of ARG can also enhance the ryegrass control you’ll get from any of the specialist grass weed pre-ems.
On top of all that, Voraxor will help ease reliance and resistance pressure on post-emergent broadleaf herbicides.
“Voraxor has the only herbicidal mode of action that is still fully effective throughout all our cropping zones,” says BASF Senior Portfolio Manager Stuart McLaverty. “While resistance to some of the other modes of action remains limited to particular weeds in specific areas, growers have seen in recent years how quickly it can spread and increase. The only way of slowing that process is by taking a truly integrated approach to weed management. And one of the classic mistakes people make is to keep new chemistry in reserve until the situation is critical.
“Voraxor can solve several specific weed control problems for growers as well as contributing to your overall resistance management strategies. We encourage you to try it in a few paddocks in 2021 so you can get a handle on its fit for your weed spectrum and conditions while enjoying the added security of our Satisfaction Guarantee.”