New Organic Burndown Herbicide Available for Fruit and Vegetable Crops

Posted by David Eddy|February 14, 2019

Certis USA is introducing Homeplate, an OMRI listed, non-selective, broad-spectrum, fatty acid, burndown herbicide that works as a foliar contact spray to control a wide variety of weeds. Homeplate is a non-systemic total vegetation killer labeled for use in all fruit and vegetable crops, including outdoor and protected ones.

Homeplate has proven efficacy against a growing list of broadleaf weeds and grasses that includes, but is not limited to, black nightshade, Canada thistle, catchweed bedstraw, chickweed, common lambsquarter, foxtail, shepherd’s purse, and wild Chamomile. It is rain fast within three hours and achieves total kill within 12 to 72 hours, depending upon environmental conditions. In addition to burndown, Homeplate is flexible with labeled uses in direct and shielded sprays, pre-plant applications, postharvest sprays, as a harvest aid and desiccant, for sucker control, and as a pruning and trimming aid.

Homeplate contains a blend of 44% caprylic acid and 36% capric acid as its active ingredients. It is fast-acting and features a unique mode of action that kills the green parts of plants and shuts down photosynthesis, causing the plants to essentially starve to death. Homeplate’s high solubility and formulation stability allow for better spreading and burndown to control weeds.

Homeplate has a reentry interval of 12 hours and has a zero-day pre-harvest interval. Homeplate is currently registered in 45 states, with plans to register throughout the U.S. in the coming months, including California. It is NOP (USDA National Organics Program) labeled, has a CAUTION signal word, and is exempt from the requirement of a tolerance when used in or on all food commodities (MRL exempt).

“Homeplate delivers consistent and unparalleled performance against target weeds on both conventional and organic farms,” Mike Allan, Certis USA Vice President, North America, said in a prepared news release. “This powerful herbicide contains fatty acids derived from palm and coconut oils and is a strong complement to the Certis product portfolio and reinforces our commitment to provide quality bio-based solutions to support grower needs.”