With the season well underway, growers are busy maintaining fields and planning for in-season weed control. With that in mind, it is important to plan on knocking out unwanted grasses and volunteer corn in soybeans, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the number of selective grass herbicides in the market. When choosing a herbicide, consider not only the active ingredient in the jug, but also the inert ingredients. Many formulations have inert ingredients that do not add value to the overall efficacy or field performance of the product. Does everything in the formulation you are purchasing actually improve effectiveness of the herbicide, or are you paying for fillers with no real performance advantage?

Helena has conducted years of research to build effective formulation systems, and many of the products in our portfolio contain these subsequent Formulation Technologies. Including these unique technologies allows us to build a product that is often easier to handle and provides improved efficacy. Utilizing a Formulation Technology means we are able to add materials to improve performance, handling and mixing.

One example of a performance-enhancing system developed by Helena is SolvX™ Formulation Technology – a customized, petroleum solvent-free, co-formulation system. SolvX replaces harsh petroleum solvents and improves handling and mixing, while also improving product efficacy. With SolvX, nearly every ingredient in the gallon works toward improving the overall performance of the product. Helena’s goal is to give the end-user more value with product-enhancing components that conventional herbicides don't provide.

Products featuring SolvX Formulation Technology provide true benefits in the tank mix. These include enhanced absorption and uptake of pesticides into the plant. In addition, it improves coverage while reducing droplet bounce, evaporation and odor. Conventional petroleum-based solvent systems have a distinct smell that is best avoided in sensitive areas. SolvX Formulation Technology reduces this typical odor and allows for more flexible use around sensitive areas.

If you are looking for a product to control volunteer corn and other grasses in your soybeans, Helena recommends TapOut®, a selective grass herbicide for soybeans and many other crops. It is highly effective on volunteer corn and other problematic grass species. TapOut features SolvX Formulation Technology to help improve the performance of clethodim, as seen in our field trials.

For more information about TapOut and other Helena products featuring SolvX Formulation Technology, contact your local Helena representative. Plus, check out our latest FieldLink® Podcast with Senior Brand Manager Mark Wayland. He discusses the value of SolvX Formulation Technology from Helena and how it can help soybean herbicide applications.