Infinity Ultra Herbicide arriving soon

Above: Bayer Market Development Agronomist in New South Wales, Gus MacLennan, pictured inspecting a replicated small-plot trial in the State featuring the new post-emergent broadleaf herbicide, Infinity Ultra.

Infinity^® Ultra, from Bayer, comprises a complementary co-formulation of Groups 27 and 12 (formerly Groups H and F) herbicides, pyrasulfotole and diflufenican, which will be an important addition to post-emergent spraying programs for control of a range of key broadleaf weeds in cereal crops.

Infinity Ultra is expected to be highly competitive compared with some existing standards and its versatile use either alone or with a tank-mix partner, together with low application rates, will allow growers to target hard-to-control weeds in wheat, barley, oats and triticale, as well as on fallows.

Large-scale trials using grower equipment were added to the ongoing program of replicated small-plot trials being conducted across all grain growing regions this season, which also include evaluations on a range of herbicide-resistant weeds including wild radish and sowthistle.

Bayer Market Development Agronomist in New South Wales, Gus MacLennan, said in addition to large area trials with growers, plot trials, which included compatibility evaluations when included in tank mixes, and knockdown applications on fallows, were being coordinated in the Griffith, Wagga Wagga and Parkes areas of the State.
 

Image: Picture shows the excellent broadleaf weed control in the large-scale demonstration trial following application of the new post-emergent broadleaf herbicide, Infinity Ultra, which is expected to be available in 2023, compared with the small untreated area in the trial.

Gus said Infinity Ultra was revealing a great opportunity to incorporate a more flexible Group 27 herbicide in mixes with other post-emergent herbicides like bromoxynil, dicamba and MCPA LVE, allowing agronomists and growers to select a tailored mix for their individual situations.

“It will offer the versatility to dial-up a mix with the active ingredients and at application rates more suited to the particular situation,’’ Gus said.

“Then there is the benefit of the combination of the two herbicide modes of action, plus adding further modes of action in a tank mix.

“Rotating and mixing modes of action is important and the use of two modes of action and potential to mix more adds further chemistry groups and the potential to reduce the build-up of resistance to any one group.’’

He said Infinity Ultra would help control challenging weeds including wild radish, wireweed and sowthistle, as well as capeweed and fumitory, while fallow applications would target sowthistle and bladder ketmia and the herbicide’s low volatility would be particularly beneficial alongside summer cropping areas.

“We have a very diverse summer crop region, especially in the south where there are cotton, grape and vegetable crops.’’

“Infinity Ultra will help to significantly reduce potential off-target damage from more volatile or highly damaging active ingredients.’’

Gus said the new herbicide’s plantback periods were more favourable for pulse crops compared with other standards and its cost competitiveness would especially be appreciated in more marginal areas, where applications of other herbicides can become cost prohibitive and there also can be plantback concerns. 
 

In Queensland and northern NSW, Bayer Market Development Agronomist Richard Jackman said Infinity Ultra would particularly target sowthistle and bladder ketmia, while trials were under way to investigate its performance on other weed targets in fallows, such as fleabane and volunteer legumes.

Richard said one of the fallow trials this season was at Bowenville, located between Toowoomba and Dalby, and it showed strong control of fleabane and sowthistle prior to being sown to a winter cereal crop.

“Infinity Ultra is less antagonistic in mixtures with glyphosate when compared with 2,4-D and Starane herbicides, which can compromise weed control and this was noticeable in the trial, and its lower use rate is also an advantage,’’ Richard said.

“Compared to 2,4-D, with Infinity Ultra there is also reduced risk of off-target damage to super-sensitive cotton crops throughout those growing regions in Australia.

“The use of 2,4-D for hard-to-control weeds poses a significant challenge in terms of managing off-target damage to neighbouring sensitive crops.’’

He said in winter cereal crops, Infinity Ultra would add a new, cost-effective herbicide mode of action to help tackle hard-to-control wild radish and capeweed, thereby reducing the reliance on Group 2 (formerly Group B) herbicide applications.

An application for the registration of Infinity Ultra has been made. At the time of publication, Infinity Ultra is not a registered product.