This tip was provided by:
Calvin Trostle, Extension Agronomy, Lubbock, 806-746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu
Statewide
2016 Texas Grain Sorghum Weed Control & Harvest Desiccation Guide
As, we have noted before in a previous Sorghum Tips, we believe your most important weed control decision for grain sorghum is always pre-plant/pre-emerge herbicide applications. Prevent weeds in the first place, and catch the escapes or other emerging weed issues later with over-the-top herbicides. For most growers a combination of atrazine and metolachlor (Dual) gives good control, but many growers will substitute propazine on sandy soils and in cotton rotations. The above document has been updated by Trostle/McGinty for use in planning your herbicide program with the active ingredients (and brand commercial names) available to your grain sorghum weed control program. View/print/download the document at http://lubbock.tamu.edu/sorghum
Is Inzen/ALS-Tolerant Grain Sorghum Available in 2016?
The prospect of over-the-top grass control in grain sorghum has been teasing us for several years. Five years ago we thought it would be here by 2014 or perhaps 2015 at the latest. We are indeed closer to this sorghum’s availability, but only one limited opportunity exists for 2016. First, this ALS-tolerant system has been named “Inzen” by Dupont, and eventually the active ingredient nicosulfuron (currently as Accent, soon as Zest) will be labeled for over-the-top application.
Currently, Pioneer does not have any hybrids that are available for growers, but Dupont licensed the technology to Advanta US, which has one hybrid (medium maturity) in their Alta Seed brand that is available on a limited basis for 2016 (one 50 lb. bag, maximum of 20 planted acres) if you are willing to partner with Advanta/Alta in a demonstration. This will involve a stewardship agreement which governs what you can do with the grain (currently only for livestock feed or ethanol—it cannot go in to the commercial grain market yet), and, for now anyway, what you can rotate to next year (not sorghum).
If you are interested in this limited opportunity with Alta seed contact an Alta dealer. You may be especially interested if you have a portion of a field where grasses are a special problem. If any TGSA members try the technology this summer, please let your county ag. agent, myself & Dr. Ron Schnell know so we can learn from your observations.
