Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences acetochlor herbicide brands are now registered for use in New York – possibly the last state in the country to finally approve them. Now, growers in New York can join the legions of crop producers across the U.S. who've been using them to fight weeds, says Tyler Hackstadt, Monsanto's product specialist.
Acetochlor-containing products, including Monsanto's Harness Xtra, Harness Xtra 5.6l, Degree Xtra, TripleFLEX and Warrant – received federal labels for field corn, seed corn, silage corn, sweet corn and soybeans as early as 1997. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation approved state registration for them this winter, after numerous denials.
New York Finally Approves Monsanto's Acetochlor Herbicides
In brief, the Monsanto brands will replace current alachlor-containing products Bullet, Lariat, and Microtech in the 2013 use season, adds Hackstadt. The more powerful active ingredient will enhance weed control, provide longer residual control plus have improved handling over alachlor brands.
Why the approval 'drag'?
Even after approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York's DEC denied acetochlor approval, citing potential leaching risks of unspecified amounts in certain coarse soils. But since 1997, EPA's toxicological and environmental profiles have improved significantly and EPA dropped acetochlor's "restricted use" designation, says Russell Hahn, Cornell University weed specialist.