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Jan-Mar. 2003
Vol. 12, No. 1
SPECIAL REPORT: OPPORTUNITIES IN FARM, GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE
PRODUCTS
Down with weeds
Summerset markets alternative to broad-use herbicides
By Dan Lemke
Photos by Rolf Hagberg
Bloomington, Minn. — AllDown Green Chemistry
Herbicide, an all-natural weed control product developed by Summerset Products,
is ahead of its class.
AllDown is the first and only herbicide to be listed on the
approved products list by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). That
approval, obtained in May 2002, makes AllDown a viable option for organic
growers, for whom weed control is a constant battle.
“The OMRI listing was very important to us,” says
Summerset Vice President Bruce Marrs. “Without it, we would have had to get
approval from a number of smaller organizations for it to be available to
organic farmers. Once OMRI gives it their blessing, the others accept it,
too.”
 AllDown
is a nonselective weed and grass herbicide made from natural ingredients
including acetic and citric acids, garlic and yucca extracts.
“It’s a broad use herbicide — it works on broadleaf
weeds, thistles, dandelions, velvetleaf and more,” Marrs says. “It also
works on a number of grasses like quack. It kills most of the weeds, others it
browns and retards their growth for a period of time and allows a crop canopy to
cover them.”
Suck ’em dry
AllDown works as a desiccant, meaning plant leaves are
burned by dehydration. Research from Iowa State University shows AllDown has
quick knockdown and is effective on killing whatever plant it contacts.
The formula for AllDown took more than seven years to
develop, as company founder and president Paul Marrs worked with a plant
scientist to reach the right mixture. The first products “ate holes through
the leaves but didn’t kill the plant.” Encouraged by early results, Marrs
continued to do research. He finally came up with a winning combination.
Unlike its well-known synthetic counterpart, Roundup, it
takes more than a few drops for AllDown to successfully kill weeds. Paul Marrs
says it takes a fairly heavy coating with a spot sprayer for the herbicide to
work. It is also more effective on smaller plants.
Currently, AllDown is being marketed predominantly to the
Midwest farm industry. However, Summerset Products is designing a consumer
retail package for the lawn and garden market. Summerset also markets
organic-based, phosphate-free fertilizers, developed with AURI’s assistance.
While organic farmers and gardeners are the market target,
other opportunities are emerging for AllDown. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
is using AllDown in Washington and Oregon to help control noxious and invasive
weed species in national parks and protected prairies.
“The government is also restricted in what they can do in
certain areas,” Paul Marrs says. “They can’t just go in and knock a whole
area down because it may contain protected or rare plants.”
Marrs says AllDown’s coverage requirement is about five
gallons per acre, more than many traditional chemicals. But for organic farmers,
government applicators or environmentally conscious homeowners, AllDown is a
natural alternative with a future.
“We have a lot of hope for this product,” says Paul
Marrs.
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