03/19/08 Chateau Herbicide okayed for chemigation on spuds

Farm and Ranch March 19, 2008 Earlier this year Valent USA received a chemigation use label for Chateau Herbicide in potatoes. Len Welch, a Valent field market development specialist, says being able to apply Chateau through the center pivot system gives growers additional flexibility. Welch: "In the past they have had to apply the material after planting and during the planting season they get very stressed and short on time when they are trying to cover a lot of acres. Their primary objective is to get the potatoes planted and if they can apply the herbicide through the center pivot system, it saves them a lot of time. Chemigation also means immediate activation of Chateau. Welch: "The idea is to apply it after the last field cultivation or Dammer Diking operation to limit the amount of soil disturbance after application. It is a pre-emergence herbicide so after the Chateau is applied you don't want to disturb the soil surface." Welch says Chateau has provided outstanding nightshade suppression. Nightshade is not only a yield robbing week, but a host to a number of aphid transmitted diseases, making early season control important. Welch: "With Chateau it is controlled before the nightshade even has a chance to emerge." Chateau also allows for crop rotational flexibility. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.