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'Old' technology still works economically
One of the oldest herbicideresistant technologies still may be the least-expensive solution to tough grass problems in corn.
Sethoxydim-resistant (SR) corn, also known as Poast Protected corn, is resistant to the active ingredient in BASF's Poast and Poast Plus herbicides. One of the first postemergence grass herbicides for soybeans, Poast is deadly on a long list of grasses and even handles tough ones like woolly cupgrass, shattercane, wild proso millet, jointgrass, johnsongrass, wirestem muhly and quackgrass.
If these or other grasses cause your worst weed-control headaches, SR corn may well be part of your solution, say weed scientists.
When hybrids resistant to Liberty and now Roundup herbicides became available, there was some question about whether SR hybrids would silently fade away.
At least six seed companies sold a dozen or so SR hybrids for 1998. Most are in the 102- to 110-day relative-maturity range, but Dekalb has a 99-day SR hybrid and one rated at 118 days.
While some companies have dropped their SR corn, the same companies that sold seed for 1998 are expected to have seed available in 1999. New hybrids from elite genetic parents are currently in research. So, while...