New glufosinate technology ready for launch

DECATUR, Ill. — A new Liberty herbicide with technology that will provide for a 25% reduction in use rate has a targeted launch in 2024 and full launch in 2025, pending registration.

BASF Agricultural Solutions announced at the Farm Progress Show the rollout of Liberty ULTRA, the first trait-enabled, resolved isomeric post-emergence herbicide offered in the U.S. marketplace. The herbicide is powered by Glu-L Technology.

Liberty ULTRA will control grasses and broadleaf weeds like waterhemp, palmer amaranth and giant ragweed in glufosinate-tolerant soybeans, corn, cotton and canola.

“We’re really excited because it marks a structural change in innovation in glufosinate,” said Liam Vincent, BASF technical marketing manager of herbicides.

“Everything in the market today, including Liberty 280, is what’s known as a racemic mixture, which is basically a mix of molecules, some of which are herbicidally active, the L isomer, and some are inactive or negligible, the D isomer.

“We’ve known for a long time that those two have been present and we’ve never been able to separate the two. With the power of Glu-L Technology we are transforming that D isomer that’s not adding much herbicidally into L isomer, the herbicidally active portion of the formulation. The result of that that a farmer will notice is the 25% reduction in use rate.

“So, we get the power of 32 ounces of Liberty herbicide into 24 ounces of Liberty ULTRA herbicide.”

The formulation locks more droplets onto weed leaves for better leaf coverage with every pass. Once the leaf is covered, the proprietary formulation has also been shown to drive nearly three times more herbicide into weeds compared to generic glufosinate products, according to a BASF study.

“Liberty ULTRA improves upon the Liberty herbicide formulation to give the American farmer the best Liberty herbicide BASF has ever sold,” Vincent said.

“The specific combination of solvents and surfactants added to the Liberty herbicide formulation creates a significant weed control advantage over generic glufosinate herbicides.

“Being in that leadership position in terms of glufosinate efficacy on the market, we’re really excited to be offering this product.

“It opens up some other opportunities for us as we look at ways of protecting the glufosinate molecule for the future by adding in residual herbicides that we have within our portfolio and then adding knockdown herbicides for weeds that we know glufosinate can sometimes struggle. So, really using everything within our BASF portfolio to create a product for the Midwest soybean acres.”