October 05, 2021

Herbicide shortage has growers eying Ampersand, Accomplice adjuvant

3 minute read

Attune Agriculture, the leader in developing performance based agricultural products using hydrocolloid technology, joins growers and distributors in the ag community on one of its biggest challenges in the last 50 years: a major shortage for ag chemicals, including the two most widely used herbicides glyphosate and glufosinate.

Improving herbicide performance at the lowest labeled use rate is an effective strategy for the current shortage.

The current shipping crisis, natural disasters, and ongoing COVID-19 labor shortages are contributing factors that have created this perfect storm. China, where over 70% of glyphosate and 60% of glufosinate is produced, has dealt with flooding in regions where herbicides are manufactured. Also, to prepare for the 2022 winter Olympics, China has begun reducing herbicide production in order to decrease air pollution.

In addition to the shortage, prices for glyphosate and glufosinate in some areas of the U.S. have more than doubled since the beginning of the year.

GMO crops, such as corn, soy, and cotton, which rely 100% on either herbicide for weed control, will be impacted the most. Non-GMO growers will have to pivot and use alternative herbicides, or combinations, to achieve control. Regardless of the crop type, growers across the board will need to get the most out of the herbicides they are able to secure.

Pairing the right adjuvant and herbicide can dramatically increase the performance of each pesticide application.

Ampersand and Accomplice adjuvant work differently than traditional surfactants by using a scientific, 4-prong approach:

Drift Control – meticulous droplet control from the nozzle to the leaf results in less fines and large droplets.
Increased Deposition – adhesive properties keep large volume droplets on the leaf.
Evaporation Protection – humectants keep droplets in a liquid state, giving the herbicide double the time to perform its function.
Wash Off Resistance – droplets are protected from rain and overhead irrigation.

The result is 3X more tank mix spray to the leaf, 2X the absorption potential for actives, and 4X the wash off resistance.

In field trials with glyphosate, applied at a low use rate of 0.5 qt/A, the addition of Ampersand or Accomplice, also applied at a low use rate of 0.125%, increased weed control by 25%. In trials with glufosinate, a high use rate for Ampersand/Accomplice (0.5%) paired with a low use rate for glufosinate (0.5 qt/A) improved performance by 51.1%.

“We want growers to know there is technology available that enables them to cover more acres with each gallon of herbicide,” says Greg Andon, CEO of Attune. “The ability to improve performance while using the lowest labeled use rate for herbicides is both an effective strategy for today’s shortage and the future of agriculture.”

OMRI listed Ampersand adjuvant is approved for use in all 50 states. Accomplice adjuvant is approved in all states except California. To learn more, please visit www.attuneag.com.

Born from over 100 years of hydrocolloid expertise, Attune Agriculture combines deep roots in food science and agriculture to create products dedicated to providing the world with agricultural tools that are both performance based and safe for the environment and the people who use them. For more information, please visit www.attuneag.com.