Nufarm announces the introduction of Cheetah® herbicide, a non-selective herbicide that provides quicker, more reliable control of glyphosate-resistant broadleaf weeds in high-value crops such as tree nuts, grapes, bushberries, pome and stone fruit, citrus, sweet corn and olives. Cheetah is also labeled for use as a desiccant on potato vines.

Cheetah herbicide is a Group 10 herbicide (glutamine synthetase chemicals which inhibit photosynthesis) with the active ingredient of glufosinate-ammonium. This means it is a much-needed tool for the control of tough, glyphosate-resistant weeds such as marestail, fleabane, malva, clover and kochia. It is one of the several ‘cats’ herbicides (including Panther® and Cheetah Max) from Nufarm that provide a range of solutions for control of numerous herbicide-tolerant or herbicide-resistant weed species across a wide spectrum of crop segments.

“Cheetah has a unique mode of action with minimal weed resistance,” explains Bob Bruss, technical services manager with Nufarm. “Because it has an alternative mode of action, it provides an efficient, cost-effective option for post-emergent control of ALS-, glyphosate- and triazine-resistant weeds.”

In addition, Cheetah provides excellent crop safety. Unlike systemic herbicides such as glyphosate, Cheetah does not translocate through the plant. This crop safety advantage is key in specialty crop areas – produce crops can be especially vulnerable to herbicide damage, and any visible damage can reduce the value of the crop significantly.

“Cheetah’s crop safety advantage benefits both young and mature vineyards and orchards,” explains Rob Schwehr, Nufarm marketing manager for the tree, nut, vine and vegetable crop segments. “Protecting high-value crops from any possibility of damage is key to protecting the grower’s profitability. Using Cheetah allows crop producers to focus precious time and resources on profitability by providing better protection from weed competition and better crop safety.”