Shooting at the Broad Side of Barnyardgrass with Fenclorim
UPL Ltd. signs agreement with Division of Agriculture for fenclorim seed treatment patents
By John Lovett – Aug. 25, 2023
SEED TREATMENT — Weed scientists Jason Norsworthy, right, and Tommy Butts give a presentation on herbicide resistance during the Rice Field Day at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Aug. 3, 2023. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Nick Kordsmeier)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A recent technology licensing agreement between the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Pennsylvania-based UPL Ltd. is expected to bring relief to rice farmers fighting herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass, and potentially other weeds, without the need for an herbicide-tolerance genetic trait in the plant.
Barnyardgrass infestations in rice can result in detrimental yield losses ranging from 30 percent to complete crop loss. In a survey of Arkansas crop consultants, barnyardgrass was listed as the No. 1 problematic weed in rice, according to Jason Norsworthy, Distinguished Professor and Elms Farming Chair of Weed Science with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture.
“I’m really excited about this agreement, and I think there are going to be some opportunities there to bring some solutions for barnyardgrass control, as well as suppression of weedy rice,” Norsworthy said at the 2023 Arkansas Rice Field Day. “Maybe even in conventional rice we can suppress weedy rice with some of the technology that UPL is looking at bringing forward.”
The widespread resistance to multiple herbicide modes of action can make management of barnyardgrass extremely difficult, especially when the earliest herbicide applications are ineffective, Norsworthy added. This project is especially important for Arkansas because the state’s farmers have about 1.3 million acres in rice this year. Arkansas is the top rice-producing state in the nation, according to the 2022 Arkansas Agriculture Profile.
The new agreement provides UPL Ltd. exclusive access to the Division of Agriculture’s filed patents covering the novel use of the herbicide safener fenclorim as a seed treatment with micro-encapsulated herbicides to protect crops against weeds. A safener is a compound that protects a crop from the effects of herbicides applied to control weeds.
“Fenclorim-treated crop seed enables protection against selected slow-release formulations of Group 15 herbicides, specifically chloroacetamides,” Norsworthy said. “Chloroacetamide herbicides provide control of barnyardgrass and Palmer amaranth, two of the most problematic weeds of several crops. Fenclorim’s protection of selected crops will allow herbicides to be applied without needing an herbicide-tolerance trait.”
Christina Coen, chief marketing officer of UPL Ltd., said, “This exclusive agreement will bring cutting-edge solutions to growers, expanding our holistic portfolio of crop protection products and empowering growers to achieve higher yields with enhanced safety and sustainability. This agreement exemplifies our OpenAg® commitment to collaboration and delivering positive real-world impacts for growers, food chains, and the planet.”
“It has been a pleasure to work with UPL through this collaboration with Dr. Norsworthy,” Parker Cole, associate director of the Division of Agriculture’s Technology Commercialization Office, said. “This commercial partnership is a true testament to what can be accomplished through technology transfer.”
Mention of product names does not imply endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on 𝕏 at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on 𝕏 at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
About the Technology Commercialization Office
The Technology Commercialization Office (TCO) commercializes world-class research to support a lasting knowledge-based economy to benefit Arkansas and the world. The TCO helps faculty and research scientists identify, protect, and commercialize intellectual property developed from their research or other university-supported activities. To contact the TCO, please email agritco@uada.edu.
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