Dicamba Herbicide Sprayed in 2016 Field Trials
While certain parts of the Roundup Ready Xtend system have not yet been approved by the EPA, some farmers got to try out this new technology this year. Called the Ground Breaker program, a group of US growers were able to use the entire Roundup Ready Xtend system in their fields. North America Crop Protection Systems lead for Monsanto, Boyd Carey, says the selected farmers enjoyed the full crop protection system, “This included spaying XtendiMax with VaporGrip technology over-the-top, a dicamba formulation that currently is pending regulatory approval.” He added that fields were sprayed with XtendiMax under strict supervision and monitored by a Monsanto representative. The harvested seeds will be kept out of commerce until the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the new dicamba formulation.
Carey says growers in the Ground Breaker program have seen excellent results, “The Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System fits well into the Roundup Ready PLUS program. This technology will help farmers control weed resistance by using multiple modes of action.” The 33 farmers in 5 states were among the first in the nation to grow the first soybeans tolerant to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides.
Monsanto is expecting regulatory approval for this technology for the 2017 growing season.