While attending Farm Progress, Maci Carter caught up with Josh Putman to learn about the company and his role there. Putman is the technical marketing manager for corn herbicides in the United States.
“We want to bring farmers the latest and greatest technology to help manage resistant weeds in corn production systems,” Putman said. “One of the things that we are really excited to highlight here is Surtain Herbicide”
Surtain Herbicide is the company’s newest pre-emergent product to be offered to corn producers. Surtain Herbicide is unique because it has the flexibility to be used both pre- and post-emergence. It is composed of a mixture of both pytoxasulfone (Zidua SC) and saflufenacil (Kixor). Adding to its appeal, it contains the only solid encapsulated herbicide on the market.
“Especially in seasons like we had in 2024, weeds in corn fields tend to get away from us,” Putman said. “This product gives us a bigger window for application.”
Putman added that BASF offers products to aid in corn production from the second the corn seed goes into the ground, such as Nurizma Insecticide to help with rootworm control, all the way to a wide portfolio of herbicides from pre-emergents to their main post-emergent, Status Herbicide. They also offer a wide range of fungicides for corn as well.
“The thing that is always on the minds of producers is herbicide-resistant weeds,” Putman said. “We are certainly monitoring some resistant populations here in the Midwest, but the thing to keep in mind about herbicide resistance is when we let those weeds get out of the ground, they are off to the races. They can grow very quickly and produce a lot of seed, and that is where they get difficult to control.”
He explained that if producers can begin attacking the weeds before they emerge from the ground, at their weakest stage at or below the soil surface, their efforts will go further in controlling herbicide-resistant weeds in their fields.
BASF is constantly working to innovate its corn portfolio to help producers do the biggest job on earth: farming. To learn more about BASF products, Putman recommended first reaching out to your local BASF Representative or visiting the website.
