By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor
Advanta Seeds U.S. has released a first-of-its-kind sorghum technology that is non-GMO, yet herbicide-tolerant, providing sorghum farmers options in the field and at market.
The technology, called igrowth, is available for pre-order for the 2021 growing season, according to Zach Eder, Advanta Seeds U.S. technology development manager.
“We’re really excited this summer to be making the big step in bringing our igrowth herbicide-tolerant technology to the marketplace. This is the first of its kind to be available in the United States,” Eder said. “It’s a non-GMO herbicide-tolerant technology that’s going to allow us to use over the top or pre-emerge herbicide to control broadleaf and those really hard-to-control grass weeds.”
A companion herbicide containing imidazolinone is currently under review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Eder said when combined with the proprietary herbicide, igrowth technology helps reduce water and nutrients used by weeds, allowing the sorghum crop to have more access to crop inputs.
“We’ve launched in five different countries worldwide, and our parent company, UPL, will be handling our companion product IMIFLEX, which is still pending EPA registration,” Eder said “This will allow you to use it as a pre- or post-application to control broadleaf and grass weeds. Our data shows it has really good pre-activity, as well as post-activity, and will provide growers a new opportunity to control those weeds throughout the season.”
Eder said that has kept some farmers from growing the crop because they didn’t have good options for weed control, but igrowth changes that.
The technology was first developed in 2007 by the Advanta research and development team in Argentina. It was commercially launched and proven in Argentina, Australia and several other countries before being tested extensively in the U.S., including at Texas A&M AgriLife Research fields near College Station.
Eder, who, along with his wife Sarah was the 2019 Texas Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture (EIA) award winner, has been working on the project and monitoring test plots for several years.
“This is going to allow a grower that has avoided sorghum access to a new crop and new modes of action to look at it for the first time. This will not only provide growers that are in the grain belt more tools to do a better job of managing stewardship of their land, but it will also give growers outside of that grain belt alternatives for marginal ground,” he said. “And, sorghum being such a drought-hardy, good producer in a stressful environment, it will allow them to be able to tap into a whole new production system to improve their profitability, as well as their overall management on their farm.”
At a recent virtual field day in South Texas, Eder and other Advanta representatives discussed the company’s portfolio of grain sorghum with igrowth technology, which will be released in 2021.
They also discussed the timetable for the EPA regulatory process.
The company has several sorghum varieties with igrowth technology available, allowing farmers to select the hybrid that best suits their area and growing practices.
“This is a really unique opportunity for growers that may not be in a sorghum-growing area to see the crop for the first time, and to learn a lot about it and to see the opportunities that are coming their way,” Eder said.
A video of the July 8 virtual field day is available at https://www.hpj.com/sorghumfrontiers.
For more information on igrowth technology and to pre-order seed, visit www.igrowthtech.com.