With a newly expanded label for Maverick® Corn Herbicide, planning for 2026 includes new options – from split applications to use on sweet corn. Three modes of action and labeled use pre-plant to 18-inch corn, along with strong compatibility, make Maverick an excellent fit within many crop protection programs. Now, applicators have additional flexibility with soil types and timing.
“These label changes enable growers to use Maverick in more and different ways. Flexibility related to soil type, rates, split applications, and rotational restrictions is improved. Maverick is also now approved for use in sweet corn production,” said Will Griffin, row crop segment manager with Valent U.S.A.
The maximum per-acre preemergence application rate for medium and fine-textured soils is now 32 fl. oz./A per year. Additionally, a split application of 18 fl. oz./A preemergence, followed by 14 fl. oz./A postemergence, is now labeled for use on medium- and fine-textured soils only. For coarse soils, the maximum labeled Maverick rate for preplant burndown and preemergence applications remains 18 fl. oz./A.
Knowing a field’s soil type, which can change from acre to acre, and the proper herbicide rate for each soil type, is key to achieving effective preemergent weed control.
“Herbicide labels generally include a range of rates within a soil class to cover the variation in texture within that class. However, suppose a field contains a combination of soil types. In that case, growers may have to apply multiple herbicide rates based on each soil type or choose the lower applicable rate, which could affect weed control efficacy,” Griffin said.
Know your soil type
Achieving maximum control of labeled weeds requires first understanding the soil type and texture of each field.
When determining the proper labeled herbicide rate, it’s critical to understand which soil category your soil type falls under.
“Most product labels, including Maverick, provide coarse, medium, and fine soil categories. Coarse soils are generally your sandy soils, medium soils are your silty soils, and your clay, or gumbo, soils are considered fine soil types,” Griffin said.
Crop rotation flexibility
The label changes, made in time for the 2026 growing season, also reduce rotational restrictions to improve crop rotation flexibility and expand crop uses to include sweet corn production.
For corn growers considering a rotation to alfalfa or grain sorghum, Maverick now offers a reduced 10.5-month rotation restriction. And for southern growers in a corn-cotton rotation, the interval between a Maverick application and replanting or planting is now 12 months for cotton. Rotational restrictions were previously 18 months for all three crops.
For more information about the changes to the Maverick label, contact your local Valent U.S.A. representative or go to Valent.com.
