Kochia, also known as tumbleweed, has become Weed Enemy #1 in the Wheat Belt, from the Northwest and Northern Plains all the way down through Texas.
An aggressive and prolific weed, kochia competes fiercely with cereal crops for water and nutrients. Growing up 79 inches in height, it can overshadow crops competing with them for access to sunlight. A single kochia plant produces around 25,000 seeds, rapidly spreading and creating visible paths of infestation across fields as it tumbles over long distances.
For growers, the results can be devastating, slashing wheat yields by up to 31%, which is the equivalent of going from 60 bushels per acre to 24. In addition, these large, stubborn weeds impede the harvesting process, resulting in reduced efficiency and crop value, ultimately impacting growers’ ability to invest in future seasons. Beyond its financial impacts, kochia also causes environmental harm, contributing to soil erosion and resource depletion.
However, by far the greatest challenge posed by kochia is its resistance to multiple herbicides. Research by leading Colorado State University and Kansas State University weed scientists, including Dr. Lovreet Shergill, Dr. Phil Westra and Dr. Vipan Kumar, has verified the cascade of kochia biotypes have developed resistance to ALS inhibitors, dicamba, glyphosate, triazine, saflufenecil, and most recently, fluroxypyr, and PPOs. Additionally, kochia biotypes resistant to more than one herbicide have grown substantially in recent years. This diminishing arsenal of management tools in wheat and barley fields has placed growers in dire need of a new, effective herbicide solution.
To address this rising challenge, Nufarm has completed development strides in using an existing technology to fit modern weed complexities. Its active ingredient Duplosan® is a refined isomer of dichlorprop – dichlorprop-p – that effectively combats yield-robbing weeds, including herbicide-resistant kochia.
Dichlorop-p, a unique Group 4, is exclusively manufactured by Nufarm. It effectively controls kochia, including resistant biotypes. It works systemically to knockdown weeds and reduce seed weed banks in the soil, promoting healthier crops and better yields. Extensive field trials have demonstrated the molecule’s superior performance compared to other Group 4 herbicides like fluoroxypyr and dicamba.
Scorch® EXT Herbicide, powered by Duplosan® technology, is a premix of dichloroprop-p, 2,4-D, and dicamba designed to combat the growing threat of herbicide-resistant kochia. It provides excellent and consistent control of kochia and other tough broadleaf weeds, offering a valuable solution when other herbicides fail. Scorch EXT is compatible with K-salt glyphosate and other products for increased convenience.
Scorch EXT has been granted 24(c) registrations in Colorado, Kansas, and Montana for fallow and eco-fallow fields. In addition to the 24(c) labels, Scorch EXT is also approved for IVM applications, including general farmstead and non-crop areas including rights-of-way, fence rows and industrial sites. It is currently pending EPA registration for additional crop uses.
“The registration of Scorch EXT in Colorado adds an important tool for growers facing kochia pressure,” said Dan Beran, Ph.D., Nufarm Director of Technical Services Ag USA. “Field trials of Scorch EXT have shown that Nufarm’s dichlorprop-p active ingredient – which is different than traditional dichlorprop – helps improve control of economically threatening weed populations, including herbicide-resistant kochia.”
