Corteva launches Ligate herbicide in Argentina to compete with glyphosate

Corteva Agriscience has introduced Ligate, a new herbicide developed in Argentina that the company says could provide an alternative to glyphosate, the most widely used weed control product globally.

Ligate combines two sulfonylureas — chlorimuron-ethyl and sulfometuron-methyl, the latter being new to the Argentine market. The product is formulated as water-dispersible extruded granules, packed in water-soluble bags designed for direct addition to sprayer tanks. Corteva says this system improves dissolution, compatibility with other products, and ease of integration into crop management strategies.

The herbicide is aimed at addressing resistant weeds during the autumn and winter seasons. “The product was designed and formulated specifically for the Argentine production system,” said Rolando Di Marco, Crop Protection Lead at Corteva for Buenos Aires and La Pampa.

Ligate was developed primarily as a pre-emergent herbicide with long-lasting residual activity of 100 to 120 days, but it also offers a complementary post-emergence effect. According to Di Marco, this makes it particularly effective against winter grasses such as annual ryegrass. In certain cases, he recommends mixing Ligate with grass herbicides like haloxyfop or clethodim to improve efficacy and reduce regrowth risk.

One distinguishing feature of Ligate is its selectivity for STS (Sulfonylurea-Tolerant Soybeans), which requires careful crop rotation planning. The herbicide is absorbed through roots and incorporated into soil after light rainfall, making it suitable for fallow fields requiring sustained weed control.

Corteva says Ligate is effective against both grasses and broadleaf weeds across diverse soil and climate conditions. The company highlighted its role last year in controlling volunteer corn, which helped limit the spread of maize dwarf mosaic virus.

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