3rd June 2024

The active ingredient Pinoxaden remains a highly valuable tool for the management of wild oats and phalaris across wheat and barley production systems, Australia wide.  

While we have seen cheaper formulations become available, for not much more money, there’s AXIAL® Xtra herbicide; A step up in efficacy and ease of use, according to Syngenta Senior Product Lead Garth Wickson who said it’s well worth the investment for farmers working alongside their agronomist.  

“In a sense, there’s little in common between AXIAL® Xtra and other Pinoxaden formulations,” Mr Wickson said.  

“Having discovered and developed Pinoxaden, we’ve moved on from the old generation of AXIAL®, which would be a fairer comparison to 100EC formulations.   

“AXIAL® Xtra includes the latest adjuvant technology for enhanced performance.”  

Mr Wickson said growers have observed several advantages with AXIAL® Xtra.  

“AXIAL® Xtra has superior compatibility with other foliar products you would commonly want to apply in crop, including broadleaf herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, to foliar nutrients,” he said.  

“While tank mixing a broadleaf herbicide with a Group 1 herbicide will generally lead to some decrease in efficacy, using AXIAL® Xtra provides more confidence when it comes to saving time and limiting passes.  

“Our built-in adjuvant also supports superior Pinoxaden uptake within the target, which creates that faster, more consistent burn down of weeds.”  

Being one of a handful of companies dedicated to the discovery and development of new active ingredients, Syngenta recently increased its research and investment budget to $2 billion. Syngenta Learning Centres are conducted every year across Australia, well attended by Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomists who make their own assessments of these products.  

Mr Wickson said the process of discovery to first sales of a new product often took 10 years, sometimes longer.  

“Our teams of scientists spend untold hours in the lab optimising every new formulation based on tests inside our greenhouses and at trial sites across Australia,” he said.  

“AXIAL® Xtra selective herbicide has benefited from continued research and development, which we’re quietly proud of.  

“These are improvements that we’ve applied from experience at every step.  

“We match this with investment in enhanced manufacturing processes, which benefits every drum of AXIAL® Xtra.  

“In comparison, our tests of other Pinoxaden formulations have found significant issues with active ingredient degradation, formulation crystallization and emulsion issues, which lead to reduced weed efficacy and general frustration on-farm.”

Show me more about AXIAL Xtra and formulation quality 

AXIAL® Xtra has a flexible rate range to suit the weed spectrum, target weed growth stage, and stage of the crop.  

Adhering to the WeedSmart Big6 principles, it is possible to target ARG early post-emergent with BOXER GOLD® herbicide (Group 15), as part of an integrated management plan. Foliar application of AXIAL® Xtra (Group 1) can be subsequently used to target later germinations of grass weeds including ARG, wild oats and phalaris.  

Applications of AXIAL® Xtra must only be made between the two-leaf and first-awns stage of wheat and barley crops (GS12-49). There is a label provision for selective spray topping wheat and barley to manage seed set of wild oats (note, a maximum of one application of AXIAL® Xtra is allowed per crop). Strategies to manage herbicide resistance with Group 1 herbicides can be found at www.weedsmart.org.au. Visit www.syngenta.com.au/axialxtra to learn more about the extra benefits of AXIAL® Xtra and see what work goes into the development of Syngenta formulations.  

*DISCLAIMER:

The information provided in this article is intended as a guide only. Information contained in this article has been provided by the manufacturer/ You should not rely on the information in this article, and it should not be considered advice. You should seek professional advice regarding relevant factors specific to your situation. This article does not take into account variable conditions that may impact performance. Always read and follow label directions before using any product in this article. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Nutrien Ag Solutions Limited and its related associated entities will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by any person arising out of any reliance on any information contained in this article.