The (Un)Hidden Risks of Corn Crop Injury

It’s always a race. against time, against the weather and most importantly – against weeds. Using the correct herbicide with a crop safener can help pave the way to clean, healthy and profitable fields.  

Weeds continue to outsmart the most effective herbicides in the market today. In fact, 40 percent of corn growers say Palmer amaranth and waterhemp are difficult to control with current preemergence corn herbicides.*  

To combat these tough-to-control weeds, growers may consider turning to corn herbicides that contain pyroxasulfone, a Group 15 herbicide. However, most of these formulations lack a crop safener, which could put your crop at risk. 

Some pyroxasulfone-containing corn herbicides can cause crop injury, leading to: 

• Stunted corn 

• Buggy whipping 

• Shepherd’s crook  

Safeners Help Protect Corn From Crop Injury

Growers choose herbicides with crop safeners to ensure the herbicide is tough on weeds but gentle on the crop. But herbicide safeners are not all the same, and they work in many different ways.  

Storen^® corn herbicide is the first and only pyroxasulfone-containing corn herbicide that contains a crop safener. MetaSafe™ is a patented crop safening technology that is designed to safen pyroxasulfone for use in corn. MetaSafe technology works by enhancing a naturally produced enzyme in the corn plant called Glutathione-s-Transferase (GST). This enhancement of the GST enzyme helps break down and metabolize pyroxasulfone.

MetaSafe Formulation Technology

Mark Kitt, corn herbicide technical product lead at Syngenta said, “We understood growers were looking for more robust preemergent residual corn herbicide formulations to help them manage ever-evolving weed species.” He continued stating, “When we saw an opportunity to bring pyroxasulfone to the corn market, we wanted to ensure the best potential outcome for the American corn grower, which meant finding a way for it to be used for to maximize crop safety.” 

Under cool and wet environmental conditions, MetaSafe increases the Glutathione-s-Transferase (GST) enzyme by 10,000,000 X to help the corn plant metabolize pyroxasulfone. Simply put, MetaSafe works by increasing the number of enzymes in the corn plant that break down pyroxasulfone, which reduces the potential for crop injury. 

Storen has four active ingredients – bicyclopyrone, mesotrione, S-metolachlor, and pyroxasulfone – that work together, resulting in fewer weed escapes, less weed interference and reduced weed seed production. Storen delivers the longest-lasting residual weed control by providing consistently clean rows up to three weeks longer than other leading corn herbicides.** 

In a survey of more than 1,100 growers and retailers who tried Storen during its first two seasons on the market, Storen received a 4.5 out of 5 customer satisfaction rating. 

“Storen is safe on my corn crop and works great,” says Ronald Dozler, a grower from Albion, Nebraska, who used Storen this season. 

Dan West, a grower and retailer from Sherrill, IA, who also used Storen this season agreed. “I love that you can go pre or post with great crop safety,” he says. 

*Syngenta market research, 2022. n=302. 

**Storen length-of-control advantage based on 2022 Syngenta and university replicated trials comparing Storen to Resicore^®  and TriVolt^®.