Adding extra value to dry fertilizer

Feb 24, 2020


By Jeff Clark, Range & Pasture Specialist for Corteva Agriscience 
 
Few combinations benefit improved pastures and hay fields as much as fertilizer with weed control.
It’s been common to include herbicide with liquid fertilizer, but more recently, it’s become possible with dry fertilizer in select states.

DuraCor, GrazonNext® HL and Chaparral herbicides are all effective when impregnated onto dry fertilizer.
Beyond the grass yield benefit, herbicide-impregnated dry fertilizer:
  • Saves time and money with only one trip to fertilize grass and control weeds.
  • Does not drift.
  • Eliminates container disposal for the producer.
  • Can be self-applied with a fertilizer buggy, so producers don’t wait on custom application.
  • Eliminates worry with booms, nozzles, or foamers. Calibration is done for you.
Impregnating fertilizer with one of these herbicides is a simple process for the herbicide seller. Herbicide in a concentrated solution is sprayed on the dry fertilizer granules or pellets during the blending process.
To get an adequate dose of herbicide properly distributed, the herbicide should be applied with at least 200 pounds of dry fertilizer per acre.

Operators of the spreader trucks or fertilizer buggies then apply the dry product as they normally would.
From there, rainfall puts the herbicide-fertilizer solution into the soil. Weed control is dependent on the soil residual activity of the herbicide and root uptake by the weeds. For that reason, weed control from impregnated fertilizer may be less than that from foliar applications.

Corteva Agriscience requires retailers to use dedicated equipment for herbicide-impregnated fertilizer — to be used on pasture and nothing else — to avoid potential for the herbicide to be spread onto sensitive crops. Adding a dye alerts users to the presence of the herbicide. The dye also makes it easier for the retailer and customer to tell how well it’s blended.

Chaparral, DuraCor, and GrazonNext HL are not registered for sale or use in all states. Availability is determined by Section 2(ee) bulletins issued by herbicide manufacturer Corteva Agriscience. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Label precautions apply to forage treated with Chaparral, DuraCor, and GrazonNext HL and to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage.

onsult the label for full details. Always read and follow label directions.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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