The Kansas Department of Agriculture has announced U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval of a section 18 emergency exemption allowing Lumax herbicide use on grain sorghum in Kansas, said Dave Regehr, Kansas State University Extension weed management specialist.

Lumax is a product of Syngenta. When applied according to the label and after proper activation, this herbicide controls annual grass (excluding shattercane) and broadleaf weeds in grain sorghum, including triazine-resistant, glyphosate-resistant, and ALS-resistant Palmer amaranth and waterhemp, Regehr said.

There are special conditions pertaining to Lumax use on sorghum, he said.

“The section 18 is an indemnified label, meaning that end users must accept all responsibility for failure to perform and for crop damage from Lumax use on sorghum,” the agronomist said. “Applicators must be in possession of the label at the time of application. The label can be accessed online at www.farmassist.com only after indicating acceptance of liability. Applicators without internet access will need to obtain the label from their retailer, who will walk them through the process.”

To access the Lumax on sorghum label:

1) Go to http://www.farmassist.com Web site.
2) If a first-time user, register as a new user.
3) On the left side of the screen, select Products, then Special Labels. 
4) Near the top of the ensuing screen, click the “here” which will bring up a page called “My Product Labels.” Select “Section 18,” State: “Kansas,” Product: “Lumax,” and Crop Groups “Sorghum.” On the ensuing screen, locate the “For Use On” section and select “Sorghum.” This will bring up the Waiver of Liability and Indemnification Agreement.
5) If you choose to accept this agreement, scroll to the bottom and click “Accept.” On the next page, under the heading “My Product Labels,” you’ll find a link titled “Lumax Section 18 Indemnified Label on Sorghum.” Click on that link to download the pdf section 18 Lumax label.

“If producers have trouble getting the label, they should be sure they did not miss Step 4,” Regehr said. If they’ve tried these steps and still have problems, he suggested they call the Syngenta Customer Resource Center at 1-866-796-4368.

The label spells out use directions, Regehr said, including:

• Apply at the rate of 2.5 quart Lumax per acre.
• Make applications 7 to 14 days preplant.
• Use Concep III-treated grain sorghum seed only (not forage sorghum or sudangrass)
• Minimize disturbance of the herbicide-treated soil barrier at planting.
• If emerged weeds are present, the label has recommendations adjuvant to improve burndown activity.
• Do not apply to emerged grain sorghum.
• Do not apply on coarse-textured soils.

If a Lumax-treated sorghum crop is lost to a natural disaster, grain sorghum may be replanted immediately, Regehr said. In that event, producers should see the federal label for Lumax on corn (http://www.cdms.net/manuf/manuf.asp) for crop rotation guidelines and weed response tables, he explained.

Regehr advised that adequate precipitation is needed for activation.

“Approach Lumax on sorghum with caution,” he added. “Lumax has been tested on grain sorghum largely under optimum conditions. As with any new herbicide, we should expect some surprises.”

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by Steve Watson
K-State Research& Extension News