Growers now have more help for preparing clean seedbeds and managing herbicide resistance for the 2015 season. After receiving registration approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DuPont Crop Protection has introduced DuPont™ Afforia™ herbicide, a preplant herbicide for soybeans and other field crops that provides excellent burndown and residual control of many of the most challenging weeds.

Afforia™ can be tank-mixed with glyphosate and/or 2,4-D LVE for cross-spectrum burndown before planting. Field trials show Afforia™ provides effective burndown of winter annuals, dandelions and volunteer canola, and residual control of herbicide-resistant broadleaf weeds, including lambsquarters, pigweed species and waterhemp. For burndown control of common ragweed, kochia and marestail, an addition of at least eight ounces a.i. per acre of 2,4-D LVE is required.

“Afforia™ offers multiple production benefits to help growers get a head start on spring weed control,” said James Hay, business director, North America, DuPont Crop Protection. “An early start is critical to preventing the spread of resistant weed biotypes and encouraging uniform emergence and strong stand establishment.”

Afforia™ is a premix formulation with two modes of action and three active ingredients for consistent control of tough weeds and to help manage herbicide resistance.

“Naturally occurring resistant weed populations can happen when herbicides affecting a single site of action on a targeted weed species are applied year after year on the same field,” said Hay. “Those resistant biotypes can survive the next herbicide application, even when done correctly.

Afforia™ offers outstanding crop rotation flexibility, which is especially valuable in areas with important rotational crops beyond corn and soybeans. Soybeans can be planted one day after applying Afforia™; field corn can be planted 14 days after application in no-till and minimum-till fields with most soil types; cotton, rice and wheat can be planted 30 days after applying Afforia™.

Afforia™ is included in the DuPont™ TruChoice® program, which offers financial rewards and rebates, advice from a local DuPont agronomy team of experts, and a portfolio of proven products to fit any production situation.

This is the latest advancement from DuPont Crop Protection, which received the Best R&D Pipeline Award as part of the 2013 Agrow Awards, a global program.