Sonic Herbicide Tackles Tough Broadleaf Weeds in Soybeans

Indianapolis, IN - October 30, 2006

With more broadleaf weeds showing tolerance or resistance to glyphosate, Dow AgroSciences offers Sonic^® herbicide as a broad-spectrum, soil-applied tool for control of tough weeds in soybeans.

Sonic is a premix of cloransulam-methyl and sulfentrazone. Dow AgroSciences has acquired access to sulfentrazone from FMC Corporation through a long-term supply agreement, whereby FMC will have access to cloransulam-methyl for the commercialization of premixes involving the two active ingredients for weed control in soybeans.

"Sonic provides soybean growers with a better tool to control tough weeds that are becoming more prevalent in Roundup Ready soybeans, specifically weeds that are resistant or tolerant to glyphosate," explains Nate Miller, marketing specialist for Dow AgroSciences.

The combination of cloransulam-methyl and sulfentrazone gives soybean growers a preplant-to-preemergence tool to control a broad spectrum of weeds ahead of a post glyphosate application.  Some of the numerous broadleaf weeds controlled include marestail, waterhemp, common lambsquarters, velvetleaf, common and giant ragweed, pigweed, morningglory, cocklebur, smartweed, nightshade, sunflower, kochia, wild mustard, Russian thistle and Venice mallow.

Populations of marestail, waterhemp, lambsquarters, common and giant ragweed, and pigweed have been reported as either tolerant or resistant to glyphosate throughout parts of the United States.

In a Roundup Ready^® system, Sonic should be applied preplant or preemergence within three days after planting at 3 oz./A for foundation control of broadleaf weeds. It can be followed with a post application of a glyphosate product like Durango^® DMA^® or Duramax^™ herbicide. In conventional soybeans, growers should use between 6.45 to 8 oz./A of Sonic.

"It's not uncommon in some parts of the Midwest to see soybean producers making three applications of glyphosate in Roundup Ready soybeans because of some of the struggles that glyphosate has with certain weeds," says Dave Ruen, product technology specialist for Dow AgroSciences. "This combination of active ingredients will control early emerging weeds that can hurt yield potential, help reduce trips across the field, and make that post application of glyphosate more effective since later-emerging weeds will be smaller and more uniform in size."

To learn more about Sonic^®  herbicide, visit www.SonicHerbicide.com or see your local Dow AgroSciences sales representative.

^®™ Durango DMA, Duramax, and Sonic are trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC
^®Roundup Ready is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company
Sonic is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state.  
Always read and follow label directions.

For Editorial Information:

Betsy Francoeur
Bader Rutter & Associates
(262) 938-5473
bfrancoeur@bader-rutter.com