As growers in the eastern Corn Belt have completed harvest, those who planted Enlist™ crops are reporting excellent weed control with clean fields and strong yield. Kevin Miller, who planted Enlist E3™ soybeans on his Ohio farm was pleased with the yield. “The yield of the Enlist beans definitely met my expectations,” Miller says. “I think there are good genetics there, too.”
The Enlist weed control system helps growers control their toughest weeds. Growers who plant Enlist corn and Enlist soybeans can make postemergence applications of Enlist Duo® herbicide, which offers two modes of action: glyphosate and new 2,4-D choline.
In addition, Enlist™ corn offers tolerance to FOP herbicides, while Enlist soybeans feature tolerance to glufosinate. This offers growers three postemergence modes of action to control the toughest weeds.
Growers see many positives
Growers began anticipating good yield after their postemergence applications of Enlist Duo herbicide.
“The Enlist Duo provided excellent weed control,” Miller says. “Enlist Duo provided a clean field, so I’m really happy with it.”
“Enlist Duo worked,” adds Ohio grower Rick Dotterer, who grew Enlist corn this year. “It definitely acted faster than just a straight glyphosate application. It was beneficial to use Enlist Duo with 2,4-D choline to take out some of these tough weeds.”
Effective herbicides are becoming even more critical, Miller says. “With reduced tillage, herbicides become a lot more important. If we can have a clean field, harvest is a lot easier and I think yield increases,” he says.
The value of on-target application
Growers are seeing more than just effective weed control with the Enlist system.
“Enlist Duo herbicide controls weeds, but that’s just part of the story,” says David Hillger, Ph.D., an Enlist field specialist who covers the eastern Corn Belt. “Growers need herbicides that stay on target during and after application. Enlist Duo features Colex-D technology, which limits drift potential, provides near-zero volatility, reduces odor and provides improved handling characteristics.”
“I did not see any off-target damage at all with the Enlist Duo,” Miller says.
Likewise, Dotterer says the herbicide stayed where he applied it. “I saw no evidence of volatility,” he notes. “It didn’t move.”
In addition, crop tolerance proved to be excellent. “I did not see any stress on the beans at all,” Miller reports. “They just kept growing.”
Growers note other benefits
Both Ohio growers indicate they’re interested in continuing to plant Enlist™ crops.
“I’m definitely going to plant more of them when they are approved for export,” Miller says. “I am interested in trying Enlist corn at some point. I’m very happy with the Enlist system and would recommend it for another farmer to use.”