Corteva presents new pre-emergent herbicide Linear for sugarcane in Brazil

Date:06-14-2024

Corteva Agriscience has announced the launch of the new pre-emergent herbicide Linear^® (Picloram + Triclopyr + Aminopyralid) for weed management in sugarcane crops.  According to the manufacturer, Linear provides "maximum efficiency in controlling difficult-to-control weeds."

Corteva Agriscience points out that the new herbicide can be used year-round and in all stages of sugarcane cultivation. Furthermore, the manufacturer highlights that Linear is "highly selective for the crop and offers great application flexibility."

Two of the primary targets of the new herbicide are castor bean (Ricinus communis) and velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens), which are difficult-to-control weeds that appear in a significant portion of Brazilian sugarcane fields. These plants are aggressive and grow fast, causing productivity losses and operational inefficiencies for the producer. Linear promises to be an "innovative solution, reaching a new level of control for these invaders."

According to Corteva Agriscience, Linear can be applied in any mode: aerial, via drone, or tractor-mounted. The release stands out for its low volatility and high solubility due to the active ingredients present in the composition: Picloram, Triclopyr, and Aminopyralid. "The current control options offer low selectivity for the crop, application flexibility, and effectiveness," explains Tainá Sipos, sugarcane marketing leader at Corteva. According to her, producers "need a new highly selective and flexible solution that contributes to operational efficiency during harvesting, and Linear is here to meet that demand."

In addition to castor bean and velvet bean, the product is also recommended for sponge gourd (Luffa cyllindrica), Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil), common morning-glory (Ipomoea purpurea), cypress vine morning glory (Ipomoea quamoclit), hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia), and roadside woodrose (Merremia cissoides).

Sugarcane fields with these plants have increased in recent years, raising concerns among producers. According to Corteva, the herbicides available for broadleaf weeds "do not offer effective pre-emergent control for castor bean and velvet bean." n seed cane, they are palliative in the wet season, requiring reinforcement in post-emergence and/or leveling. Another point is that applications can cause phytotoxicity in sugarcane fields. In ratoon cane, the available tools are only applied during the dry period as they are only partially effective for the crop.

"The current control options offer low selectivity for the crop, application flexibility, and effectiveness. Therefore, producers need a new highly selective and flexible solution that contributes to operational efficiency during harvesting, and Linear is here to meet that demand," emphasizes Tainá. Corteva's sugarcane marketing leader adds that the innovation is highly selective and has maximum efficacy in the wet season. In post-emergence control, she says, besides being applicable aerially and in all crop growth stages, it contains unprecedented substances in sugarcane.

In addition to registration for traditional applications, it can also be applied via drone or other innovative methods. Linear^® can be applied with Cana Line herbicides, such as Coact and Combine 500 SC. It took five years of research and development for Linear, with tests conducted in various states in Brazil, which suffer from broadleaf weeds in sugarcane crops. 

Corteva's team, the main consultants, and expert professors conducted these studies on the subject last year. In pre-emergence tests, Linear management combined with Coact achieved between 95% and 99% control of castor bean 30 days after application, compared to other herbicide applications.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)