Giant leap for GENERICS
Jan 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Mark Moore
Shrinking profit margins and effectiveness of current products may be slowing development of new chemistry
THE GENERIC market has given producers more corn and soybean herbicide choices, but experts worry that shrinking margins and increased costs for research and development may be drying up the new-chemical pipeline.
“There's a real lack of any new active ingredients,” says Aaron Hager, extension weed science specialist at the University of Illinois. “The pace of novel chemistry development has slowed tremendously.”
The cost of bringing a new product to market can run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. After a scientist isolates a specific molecule, the development to commercial product can take 8 to 10 years. And there are no guarantees that the product will work or be competitive with products already on the market.
It's difficult to compete in a devalued market like the ag chemical industry. “Generics have taken a lot of the profit out of the market,” says Dallas Peterson, extension weed science specialist at Kansas State University. “And while lower costs are great for producers, that also means companies have less money to spend on research.”
Another factor is the effectiveness of today's chemistry. There isn't a bug, disease or weed that can't be controlled with current active ingredients in the market.
However, that also worries weed scientists. “Weed shifts and selection of herbicide-resistant weed biotypes are significant concerns,” Hager says. “Glyphosate is a very effective product, but we are seeing instances in which it's not working as well.”
For instance, Hager and his colleagues have identified a waterhemp population that's resistant to three different chemical families. That leaves only one option for postemergence control in soybeans — glyphosate. Hager says, “If glyphosate loses its effectiveness, then we're severely limited for season-long weed control options.”
Most of the new herbicides for 2007 are the tried-and-true active ingredients in a new formulation
By Mark Moore
UNIVERSITY BULLETINS might list a plethora of herbicides for use in corn and soybeans, but it's unlikely that the names on the list have changed much. Most of the new products are the standby active ingredients in a new mix and a new package.
Late last year, FMC Corporation and Dow AgroSciences entered into a long-term supply agreement, whereby FMC will have access to cloransulam-methyl and Dow AgroSciences will have access to sulfentrazone.
For producers, this means two new premixes for soybeans in 2007. Dow AgroSciences' product will be sold under the name Sonic, and FMC will market its product under the brand name Authority First DF.
As either a preplant or preemergence application, the products will offer broad-spectrum control of weeds with two effective active ingredients. As a foundation soil treatment in Roundup Ready soybean systems, Sonic will provide early-season weed control, says Dave Ruen, product technology specialist for Dow AgroSciences.
“These products have a nice fit for conventional and Roundup Ready soybean growers,” says Dallas Peterson, extension weed specialist at Kansas State University. “A big advantage is that they have a nice fit with glyphosate products, providing good control of key problem weeds such as waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, morningglory, prickly sida, copperleaf and velvetleaf, and allowing for more flexibility with postemergence application timing.”
The big question, Peterson says, is the price. “They will need to be price competitive with other products on the market,” he says.
Impact from Amvac Chemical Corporation is not new to the market, but the company has amended its label to allow lower use rates in certain tankmixes for 2007. According to Amvac, tankmix partners qualifying for the lower 0.5 oz./acre rate include Accent, glyphosate (including Roundup and Touchdown), Liberty, Lightning, Option, Steadfast and Stout. Tankmixes with Cinch, Prowl H2O and Stout herbicides also are new on the label.
In addition, Impact now may be used in postemergence sequential applications after soil-applied applications of isoxaflutole (Balance Pro) herbicide or premixes containing the active ingredient. The maximum isoxaflutole rate for this use is 0.0625 lbs. active ingredient/acre (equivalent to Balance Pro at 2.0 fl. oz./acre or less).
“In areas where Roundup Ready corn and soybeans have been grown continuously for several years, some broadleaf weeds are becoming harder to control because of selection pressure from continuous use of glyphosate,” says Bill O'Neal, technical product manager for Amvac. “Adding Impact to the mix improves broadleaf weed control and reduces selection pressure for tolerant and resistant biotypes, while also maintaining excellent safety to corn.”
An alternative to glyphosate for burndown, Gramoxone Inteon is a new formulation of paraquat from Syngenta. By offering a different mode of action, Gramoxone helps preserve glyphosate technology for future use, the company says. Gramoxone provides broad-spectrum control of broadleaf weeds, sedges and grasses.
Syngenta has co-packed S-metolachlor and fomesafen for preemergence weed control in both conventional and Roundup Ready soybeans, helping to prevent early-season weed competition.
DuPont is marketing this preemergence herbicide for corn. It is an acetochlor-based product, with a formulation that also contains atrazine. It provides broad-spectrum control of grasses and broadleaf weeds, including foxtails, barnyardgrass, crabgrass, waterhemp, lambsquarters, pigweeds and nightshade.
Also approved for postemergence grass and broadleaf weed control is Stout. Its active ingredients are nicosulfuron for grass control, combined with thifensulfuron methyl for broadleaf weed control. Use rates are 0.5 to 0.75 oz./acre for field corn. Stout may be applied to corn up to 16 in. tall or up to, and including, five-leaf collars, whichever is most restrictive.
Stout can be tank mixed with other herbicides registered for use on corn, including atrazine, dicamba, Distinct, Callisto or Cinch, DuPont says.
Autumn, from Bayer CropScience, has the active ingredient iodosulfuron. It is available for use as a fall-applied herbicide prior to corn use. It also can be applied up to 30 days prior to corn planting. However, it is not labeled for use on areas that will be planted to soybeans.
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