Chateau Herbicide SW receives label expansion

Valent U.S.A. has received a federally approved label expansion for Chateau Herbicide SW to include citrus and caneberries. The registration is a new key use for Chateau in bearing citrus fruit.

Chateau is a broad spectrum preemergence herbicide. According Valent, the herbicide provides long-lasting residual protection against more than 90 annual weeds, including tough-to-control broadleaf and annual grasses such as fleabane, Florida pusley, lambsquarters, ragweeds, pigweeds and teaweed.

After previously being registered in non-bearing citrus, Chateau is now labeled for bearing citrus, including oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes, in Florida, Texas and Arizona. Additionally, the supplemental label also allows Chateau to be used on caneberries such as blackberries and raspberries in the key-producing states of Oregon and Washington.

“This expanded use pattern provides a valuable new tool to citrus and caneberry growers looking for proven and dependable control of yield-robbing winter annual weeds with excellent crop safety,” said John Pawlak, product development manager at Valent. “Chateau is unique in that it stays where you put it and won’t volatilize or co-distillate upward — and it won’t leach. It stays where the weeds germinate to provide consistent and long-term control.”

Pawlak added that Chateau is farm friendly and weather ready. Chateau does not photodegrade by sunlight after application, according to the company. With staying power under various weather conditions, Chateau only needs a quarter-inch of water or rainfall for activation, the company claims.

Chateau has been used commercially since 2005 and can be applied on more than 50 crops. In addition to its new use on bearing citrus and caneberries, Chateau is registered on pome fruit, stone fruit, grapes, tree nuts, tree fruit, sweet potatoes, alfalfa, cotton, blueberries and strawberries.

The ideal use pattern for Chateau on caneberries is a dormant preemergence use, but it can be applied within seven days of harvest, according to the company. Growers will experience the most benefit from Chateau with a late fall or early spring application, before the weeds emerge and compete with the crop for nutrients, Valent recommends.

For more information on Chateau, visit www.valent.com/chateau or contact your local Valent retailer or sales representative.