Corteva Agriscience, the agricultural division of DowDuPont, announced a brand new product on Thursday during the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans. Pasture and Land Management Business Leader, Damon Palmer, told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman that it will be a new tool for farmers and ranchers.
Read more from Corteva Agriscience:
Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, Announces DuraCor™ Herbicide for Pastures and Rangeland
Product Promises Advancements in Pasture Management, Pending Registration
With the cattle industry’s largest gathering — the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show — as a backdrop, Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, unveiled DuraCor™ herbicide as its newest anticipated broadleaf weed control product for pastures and rangeland.
Following last fall’s submission of DuraCor to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this announcement marks the next step in bringing ranchers and land managers the first new active ingredient for pastures and rangeland in nearly 15 years.
“Cattlemen are focused on managing costs, yet keep an eye on increasing productivity,” says Damon Palmer, Pasture and Land Management Leader at Corteva Agriscience. “Effective weed control on grazing land can help on both fronts.”
Pending EPA registration, DuraCor will provide cattle producers a broader-spectrum weed control product, compared with current market standards. Powered by Rinskor™ active, recipient of the 2018 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, DuraCor is expected to control more than 140 broadleaf weed species and offer several anticipated features, including:
- Low use rate.
- Compatibility with dry and liquid fertilizer.
- Low-odor formulation.
- Safe to desirable forage grasses.
- Season-long residual control.
“The ability to simplify pasture weed control saves time and expense,” Palmer says. “When you factor in a doubling — at minimum — of forage production you get by eliminating weeds, the return on investment is impressive. That’s critical to sustainable beef production.”
Multiple years of testing show improved control of important broadleaf species, including wild carrot, giant hogweed, wild parsnip, poison hemlock and common caraway, plus better late-season control of marshelder and tall ironweed.
“Broadleaf weeds reduce forage yield,” explains William W. Witt, Emeritus Professor, Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Kentucky. “But in the case of certain species — tall ironweed, for example — cattle don’t like to graze near it, so you’re losing grazing area, too.”
Witt conducted multiple trials over several years with DuraCor. One year after treatment, tall ironweed control exceeded 90 percent. In his work, Witt also found this new pasture herbicide provided exceptional control of plantain.
“Plantain is a big issue in hayfields,” Witt said. “In our area, where producers often graze and hay pastures in the same season, eliminating plantain would improve hay quality.”
Pending EPA registration, Corteva Agriscience expects this to be the second of three products brought to the pasture market over three years.
“Corteva Agriscience is committed to giving cattle producers the reliable partner they need for improving range and pasture productivity,” Palmer says. “Our dedicated team of local range and pasture specialists allows us work with producers to help them meet individual goals for their land. We’re committed to researching and developing new, simple solutions for ranchers across the country.” Corteva Agriscience anticipates making DuraCor available to cattle producers during 2020.
