Equip corn herbicide receives EPA approval

Apr 23, 2003 12:00 PM, Wayne Wenzel

Bayer CropScience recently announced that its new Equip corn herbicide has received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval in time for the 2003 growing season. The company claims Equip provides the broadest-spectrum weed control of any conventional postemergence corn herbicide.

One of the active ingredients of Equip is foramsulfuron — the same active ingredient found in Bayer‘s Option corn herbicide. Equip also contains iodosulfuron, a new herbicide for targeted residual control of small-seeded broadleaves such as lambsquarters, pigweed and smartweed. Both of these sulfonylurea chemistries have been shown to be effective at very low rates. The recommended rate of Equip is 1.5 oz./acre applied with 10 to 20 gal. of water/acre.

As a broad-spectrum postemergence herbicide, Equip controls grasses such as foxtails, johnsongrass and shattercane. It also controls broadleaf weeds such as cocklebur, morningglory, ragweed, sunflower and velvetleaf. Bayer says Equip can be used on all field corn, including herbicide-resistant varieties.

The preferred adjuvant system for Equip is 1.5 pt. MSO + 1.5 to 2 qt. UAN (28 to 32%) or AMS. The Equip formulation also contains isoxadifen, a safener that allows tank mixing with MSO + nitrogen and herbicides such as Marksman.