Innovations

Big step forward for herbicide-tolerant grain sorghum

Grain sorghum growers are a step closer to having an over-the-top grass control product for their crop.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the registration approval of the active ingredient nicosulfuron (the active ingredient in DuPont Zest herbicide) that will complement the non-GMO DuPont Inzen herbicide-tolerance sorghum trait.

This product, the only herbicide technology focused solely on sorghum, will provide growers with over-the-top grass control for the first time ever as a result of a 10-year partnership between Kansas State University and DuPont Crop Protection with support from the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, the Sorghum Checkoff and National Sorghum Producers (NSP).

“Producer surveys have shown the top hurdle sorghum farmers face in optimizing yields is providing over-the-top grass control,” says Tim Lust, NSP and Sorghum Checkoff CEO. “This news is a monumental achievement for our organizations and sorghum farmers across the U.S., and we are excited to see limited quantities of this new technology in the field in 2016.”

“While we don’t expect large amounts of the technology to be in fields in 2016, growers will be able to see it in field trials. We look forward to seeing it in growers’ hands in 2017,” Lust adds.

Brownfield visited with Justin Weinheimer, crop improvement director for the Sorghum Checkoff, about this new development.

AUDIO: Justin Weinheimer