BASF and FMC help rice growers manage tough weeds

By CnAgri Print During the 2012 Rice Outlook Conference, BASF Crop Protection and FMC Corporation announced that Command® herbicide (clomazone) is now recommended for use in the Clearfield® Production System for rice. Command herbicide adds value to growers by controlling tough grasses in rice production, which can rob growers of yield.

"BASF is excited to partner with FMC to offer solutions to growers by expanding the offerings for the Clearfield Production System,” said Nocha Van Thielen, Rice Market Manager, BASF. “The Clearfield Production System is a proven technology rice growers have trusted for more than a decade to control tough weeds in rice.”

Weed management in rice has become more challenging as weed species are developing resistance to existing herbicides.

"Command herbicide provides Clearfield growers with a different mode of action to control difficult grasses, such as barnyardgrass, that threaten profits and return on investment,” said Stu Throop, Product Manager - Herbicides at FMC Corporation.

Barnyardgrass is a competitive weed in Southern rice that poses a major threat to Clearfield growers, especially with the rise in resistant strains. Experts agree that a comprehensive weed management system that includes early weed control and the use of multiple herbicide modes of action are vital to managing resistance concerns.

"BASF offers a number of stewardship strategies for growers to help protect their fields from resistance. One of these strategies is rotating chemistries, and Command herbicide will give growers another strong rotation option,” said Alvin Rhodes, Technical Service Representative, BASF. “Applying Command herbicide preemergent, followed by Newpath® herbicide post-emergent, greatly improves grass control in Clearfield rice, reducing the likelihood of resistance and helping protect yields.”