Australia
March 10, 2017
Comparative AI loading of Grazon DS and three generic ‘equivalents’
he market is awash with ‘me too’ products from a host of generic suppliers. It is understandable that the assumption is often made that “it’s all the same, right?” In many cases, irrespective of the active ingredient, this is not the case. Product performance, both in the tank and in the paddock, relies on a quality formulation package, which includes all of the active and non-active constituents in the drum. When it comes to picloram plus triclopyr, there are many generic formulations with the same actives ingredients at the same reported loading, yet performance in the paddock can vary dramatically from product to product, and in some cases from batch to batch.
When Dow AgroSciences formulation chemists compared Grazon™ DS to generic ‘equivalents’, in every case, the active ingredient loading of both picloram and triclopyr never met the specifications listed on the registered label, yet Grazon DS exceeded them (Chart 1). When formulation particle sizes were compared, Grazon DS was less than 1 um; generic ‘equivalents’ ranged from 28-60 um (Chart 2). When mixed into an emulsion, small and consistent particle size means that Grazon DS remains dispersed in the spray tank even after extended down-time (Photo 1), which ensures consistent results with even brown-out and weed control in the field. Generic ‘equivalents’ were found to settle out within minutes after stopping agitation, which leads to inconsistent results and patchy brown-out.
These ‘equivalent’ products simply result in more labour costs; where results are patchy or substandard, the area will require re-treatment. As labour costs account for more than half of the overall application cost, these additional expenses need to be taken into account.
With a focus on minimising labour costs and even more emphasis on delivering a reliably superior result, Grazon™ Extra Herbicide was developed. Building on the same formulation qualities of Grazon DS, Grazon Extra packs an extra punch with the addition of the powerful active ingredient, aminopyralid.
There is no generic Grazon Extra available in Australia. Grazon Extra contains 100 g/L picloram, 300 g/L triclopyr and 8 g/L aminopyralid. And it’s amazing what aminopyralid brings to the table!
Aminopyralid was specifically developed by Dow AgroSciences for the control of noxious and invasive weed species. As a stand-alone herbicide, aminopyralid provides control of a range of difficult-to-control weed species. When mixed with picloram and triclopyr, in a quality formulation, it controls a wide spectrum of weeds, with both rapid knockdown and extended residual control.
Local trials demonstrate that Grazon Extra has enhanced activity on weeds listed on the old Grazon DS label, as well as additional weeds that can now be reliably controlled with a single treatment of Grazon Extra, including thistles and fireweed. As aminopyralid is about four times more active than picloram on key weeds, using Grazon Extra is the equivalent of adding an extra 30% more picloram to the tank (Chart 3).
“Grazon Extra may cost a little more to purchase up front, but it does the job, it does it properly, and without any hassles along the way” confirmed Dow AgroSciences Portfolio Business manager Bryce Sturgess. “Choosing a proprietary product means that the product is backed by research and development biologists, formulation chemists, government and public affairs specialists and sales support in the field. If anything goes wrong, you have our support. We call it the Grazon Extra Performance Guarantee.”
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