Valent’s Chateau Herbicide approved for chemigation on alfalfa

Valent U.S.A. Corporation has received a chemigation use label for Chateau Herbicide in alfalfa just in time for the fall use season in many states; chemigation registration is pending in California. The chemigation label means growers can save time and money and get immediate herbicide activation for long-lasting control of more than 60 tough weeds. Chateau has a new mode of action for alfalfa, and also offers growers excellent rotational flexibility.

John Pawlak, Valent product development manager, said growers who use Chateau through fall chemigation after their last hay cutting improve the overall efficacy of their treatment and save money by eliminating the fuel and equipment costs associated with a separate application.

"Chemigation ensures immediate activation and incorporation of Chateau into the soil for a more streamlined treatment process,” Pawlak said. “Using chemigation will help growers manage their input costs by reducing the number of trips across the fields.”

In addition to saving money through the application process, using chemigation also ensures growers get the most of out of their investment by applying the herbicide with water.

"Chateau is a preemergence herbicide, and requires at least ? inch of water for activation. If you don’t irrigate or get rain following a Chateau application, weeds are able to germinate during the time between application and activation, which can lead to escapes,” Pawlak said. “Applying Chateau through chemigation guarantees that a grower will get maximum activation. Growers who use Chateau can also rely on the chemistry to stay where it’s put because it doesn’t leach or volatilize.”

As well as tough weed control, Chateau also offers growers unmatched rotational flexibility. Growers who intend to rotate into any of a variety of crops in the spring can use Chateau through chemigation after their final cutting in the fall and be ready to plant again in four months.

"The advantage of applying Chateau in the fall is that you control the winter annuals before they emerge, which can have benefits through the first cutting. And with just a four-month plantback restriction, growers will have no trouble planting into a variety of crops,” said Len Welch, Valent field market development specialist. “The crop rotation flexibility Chateau providesseems to have gotten a lot of growers’ attention.”

Welch added, “Chateau is a different mode of action than the herbicides that are currently registered for alfalfa—making it an ideal fit for most growers’ resistance management programs.”

Chateau contains the active ingredient flumioxazin, a PPO inhibitor that binds to the soil and has low water solubility.

Chateau is part of the growing line of quality products from Valent U.S.A. Corporation, including plant growth regulators, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, a nematicide and a miticide. Valent's product line includes leading brands such as Belay Insecticide, Danitol Insecticide, DiPel Biological Insecticide, DiTera Nematicide, Esteem Insect Growth Regulator (IGR), Knack IGR, MaxCel Plant Growth Regulator (PGR), Prestige PGR, ProGibb PGR, Promalin PGR, ProVide PGR, Quash Fungicide, ReTain PGR, Select Max Herbicide with Inside Technology, Venom Insecticide, XenTari Biological Insecticide and Zeal Miticide.