Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
February 26, 2013
Sometimes big ideas come by thinking smaller. That’s the case with Ultra Low Use Rate technology from Bayer CropScience.
We have worked hard in recent years to deliver solutions that can help our customers maximize their bottom line – from introducing new seed traits to launching innovative crop protection products. We have also learned to listen more to our customers, and what they have said is that they want to be able to do more with less.
Our Ultra Low Use Rate technology delivers on that request – precise measurements, smaller packaging, fewer containers and less labor. By thinking smaller, we are providing more – greater flexibility, better efficiency and enhanced bottom lines – for growers and retailers. Plus, it enables them to be more environmentally sustainable and to remain in compliance with regulatory standards. Ultra Low Use Rate technology is clearly a case of getting more with less.
More and Less
Growers and retailers have the flexibility to tankmix Ultra Low Use Rate products such as herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, because these products are not premixed with other crop inputs like glyphosate or atrazine. This enables growers and retailers the ability to customize pest control solutions for specific fields with the appropriate crop input partners.
Bayer CropScience Ultra Low Use Rate products are measured in ounces rather than the customary pints or quarts. With our concentrated formulations, only ounces are needed to treat the same number of acres as opposed to pints or quarts per acre for most other crop protection products. For instance, it would take a grower only 3 fl oz of Laudis® herbicide to treat an acre of corn compared to 4 pts (2 qts) of Halex® GT, based on the maximum label use rates. Or it would take just nine cases of Corvus®, applied at a rate of 5.6 fl oz/A to treat the same number of acres as four bulk containers of conventional herbicides applied at 2.5 qts/A.
With the lower rates, fewer and smaller containers are needed. This makes it easier for growers and retailers to handle the products. Less storage space is required with the smaller packaging, allowing growers and retailers to use their sometimes limited space more efficiently. Ultra Low Use Rate products also reduce costs needed for purchasing new bulk tanks, mini bulks, pumps or replacement parts.
The Ultra Low Use Rate products can help growers and retailers operate more effectively through labor and transportation efficiencies. The smaller packing enables the products to be transported more efficiently. Since more products can be loaded on delivery trucks, fewer trips are needed, reducing fuel use and transportation costs. Plus, there are fewer bulk delivery trucks clogging up the chemical bays in retailer loading zones. Also, less labor is needed to clean, maintain, fill, calibrate, handle and dispose of rinsate.
With easier cleanup and less packaging for disposal, Ultra Low Use Rate products are more environmentally sustainable, a core value of Bayer CropScience. By following cleaning directions, the packaging has the potential to be recycled or repackaged. This can prevent the buildup of those annoying empty containers on farms or in warehouses.
Sidebar – The Right Measurements (or The Size of It)
Our Ultra Low Use Rate products are available in packaging sizes ranging from half-gallon containers to 250-gallon Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC). With this flexibility in packaging, growers and retailers can choose the proper amount of an Ultra Low Use Rate product needed to get the job done right
For smaller projects, there is an easy-to-use 1-gallon measuring pitcher provided in the packaging. For bulk needs, we have worked with some of the leading equipment providers to develop IBC measurement technologies for Ultra Low Use Rate products that are more accurate and less time-consuming, plus save space.
Automated measurement systems such as Chem Way from Junge Control or FDS-3000 by Kahler provide precise measurements of Ultra Low Use Rate products for mixing with multiple crop input products. With a convenient control system and easy calibration method, the ChemMATE from FarmChem enhances accuracy compared to traditional high-volume, hose-end electronic meters. These Ultra Low Use Rate-approved systems allow retailers to easily integrate bulk products with existing or new measurement systems.
Sidebar – Rules to Live By
Meeting regulatory requirements is always a concern of any retailer. Ultra Low Use Rate packaging helps retailers and repackagers remain compliant with the 2006 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Container and Containment Rule, while making it easier for them to store containers, repackage products, maintain equipment and track records.
While the rule focuses on traditional bulk products, it also pertains to Ultra Low Use Rate products, including those repackaged and delivered in 250-gallon IBCs. By following the rule and our repackaging agreements for Ultra Low Use Rate products, retailers can minimize the risks and aggravation often associated with traditional high-volume bulk systems, allowing retailers to operate more efficiently.
Being Direct
While Ultra Low Use Rate products are effective when applied using standard sprayers, they are also highly efficient for use with direct injection sprayer technologies. Growers can increase the number of acres that can be applied in between refills with the low use rates. Direct injection units used with Ultra Low Use Rate products are small and fit into small spaces on the sprayer. Growers can fill these direct injection units using 1-gallon jugs, 2.5-gallon jugs, 250-gallon IBCs or refillable packages. For example, a 30-gallon direct injection system storage container of Capreno® can cover 1,290 acres applied at a rate of 3 fluid ounces per acre. Higher use rate products cannot match this efficiency.
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