Advanta places imidazolinone-tolerant sorghum on the market

Weeds are enemies of productivity in agriculture, including sorghum, a cereal responsible for the supply of almost 2,8 million tons in 2020. Bittergrass, crabgrass, crow's foot grass, bittergrass, guanxuma and Picão-preto are among the phytosanitary problems that can reduce the sorghum harvest by up to 50%, according to academic studies.

"Sorghum cultivation is very sensitive to weeds, which generate competition for water and important nutrients that are generally scarce during the dry season, when the cereal is planted. Combating these enemies requires a lot of attention to the technology used, since the productivity of the crops can be affected by the stress caused by certain categories of herbicides", says Lucas Sleutjes Silveira, technology and business development leader at Advanta Seeds.

To help face this double challenge, Advanta developed technology with the potential to increase sorghum yields. Its about "igrowth", which, through mutagenesis, provided seeds tolerant to herbicides composed of the active ingredient imidazolinone, widely used in agriculture.

"The chemical group of imidazolinones is quite effective in controlling weeds. However, the presence of these active ingredients in the soil at a given time can cause phytotoxicity in the crop, causing irreversible damage or even death to sorghum, especially in the germination and initial stage of development. The igrowth technology makes the seeds resistant to negative impact, maintaining only the benefits of the herbicide", explains Silveira.

The Advanta specialist emphasizes that tolerance to the active ingredient does not replace care with the correct and safe use of this type of agricultural pesticide: application must follow the dosage indicated for each situation. Otherwise, the products may not have the desired effect on weeds, resulting in waste and possible environmental contamination.

One of the imidazolinone-based products is Zelone, herbicide developed and marketed by UPL – one of the five largest agricultural solutions companies in the world and responsible for Advanta Seeds operations since 2006. The herbicide is selective and has systemic action. It presents results in the field against six important weed species that significantly affect sorghum cultivation in the country.

"Zelone has high formulation technology, something that is reflected in its performance against the main weeds that affect the development of sorghum and in the effective control combined with igrowth technology, providing flexibility and security for the producer. For us, at UPL, it is It is rewarding to integrate our portfolio with Advanta technologies", highlights Rodrigo Koriama, marketing manager for row crop herbicides at UPL Brasil.