OMRI-listed Herbicide With Total Burndown in 72 Hours or Less

In its second year since introduction—and first year of use in California—the team at Certis has big growth goals for Homeplate, an OMRI-listed, non-selective herbicide. 

This broad-spectrum burndown has a label for use all outdoor and greenhouse crops and is approved in all 50 states. 

“Homeplate will take the weed down to the ground,” says Scott Ockey, Field Development Manager
Western USA at Certis USA. “With many biopesticides, you take a week to go look and see what it did---but with Homeplate, you spray and you can see the weeds dying. That’s really pretty cool. And when used correctly, you get 100% burndown.”

Ockey says it kills weeds up to 8” tall and what makes it such an effective weed killer is its percentage of caprylic and capric acids. 

Application recommendations include a minimum of 35 gal. per acre of water volume and application rates between 3% to 9% by volume. 

“Since it’s a burndown, it has to touch everything it will kill, so you have to get complete coverage,” he says. “We also suggest at the time of application, air temperatures need to be above 50 degrees so the target plants are the most responsive.” 

Current uses for Homeplate include weed control in specialty crops such as asparagus, apple orchards, grapes, and late season dissection in pulse crops. Most of its use is in organic crops today, but the herbicide can also be a fit in conventionally grown crops. 

“We’re also seeing increased use in hops with regulatory issues on paraquat,” Ockey says. 

Ockey says he started working in apple production the northwest 17 years ago, and it is products such as Homeplate that are opening new options in crop production. 

"Many products have been trialed over the years to fill the gap for an effective OMRI-listed herbicide but they have fallen short of the goal,” he says. “But now, with grower education and quality products being developed the opportunities are great to meet this need head-on—it’s amazing.”