Another herbicide option

Sulfentrazone is now registered for flax, field peas and sunflowers. The new label should be available for the 2011 growing season. The product has been available the past couple of years for use on chickpeas. It’s been registered for various crops in the U.S. for ages. Down there is goes by the name Spartan. Up here, the brand name is Authority 480. Sulfentrazone is particularly good for controlling kochia. I’ve used it the past couple of years on chickpeas and I’ve been impressed by the kochia control. Since it’s a Group 14 product, it should help with weeds like kochia that are becoming resistant to other modes of action. Sulfentrazone is soil-applied before the crop emerges. It does require some rainfall for activation. And there are some rotational considerations. Based on a news release posted on the SaskFlax website, the new registration includes some revisions to the crop rotation intervals. The re-cropping restrictions on the old label really limit what you’re supposed to grow in following years. The product also controls wild buckwheat, redroot pigweed and Lamb’s-quarters. Research is underway to determine the efficacy of sulfentrazone for controlling cleavers in field peas. Why it often takes so long to get products registered in Canada remains a mystery. I’m Kevin Hursh.