Soybean farmers soon will have a new soybean herbicide premix that features a familiar corn herbicide in their weed management arsenal.
At its recently held media summit, Syngenta officials unveiled a new premix, Metrona MTZ, that will contain mesotrione, the active ingredient in Group 27 corn herbicides such as Callisto. Metrona MTZ also will contain a Group 15 active ingredient, S-metolachlor (the active ingredient in Dual II Magnum), and a Group 5 active ingredient, metribuzin (the active ingredient in Sencor).
Metrona MTZ will be applied as a burndown, preplant or preemergence in mesotrione-resistant soybeans.
The preemergence premix aims to snuff weeds before they emerge. Target weeds include certain grasses and broadleaves such as Palmer amaranth, waterhemp and giant ragweed.
“It’s easier to control the seed than the weed,” said Eric Ott, Syngenta herbicide technical product lead.
Ott noted that Metrona MTZ has provided excellent residual control four weeks after application in company tests.
He added that strong preemergence residual programs can set the stage for later postemergence applications using precision spraying technologies that target weeds and not the crop.
Syngenta’s data has shown decreased value in precision technologies if a strong preemergence residual program does not occur, Ott said.
“Residual weed control is critical in soybean production,” he added.
The three herbicide sites of action also are vital for managing herbicide-resistant weeds.
Metrona MTZ will feature a 3.61-pound-per-gallon ZC formulation. Syngenta officials said this is a one-of-kind formulation that enables growers to “load and go” without the time-gulping mixing of different herbicides.
“It takes the guesswork out of trying to mix all these different [active ingredients],” Ott noted.
Syngenta officials added Metrona MTZ features excellent tank-mix compatibility with other nonselective herbicides for burndown application. It also features excellent crop safety, Ott said.
Federal regulators have approved Metrona MTZ, and the herbicide premix is currently undergoing state registration. Syngenta aims to commercially launch the product in time for the 2028 growing season.