Looking ahead to spring, farmers may want to consider planting early this upcoming season. Bayer Soy Traits Marketing Manager Brandy Cullen says having a strong pre-emergence residual program for weed control will help you limit challenges down the road and manage your yield.
“The Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System and Xtend Flex soybeans are helping to keep fields clean, starting with a pre-emergence application of XtendiMax Herbicide with Vapor Grip Technology, a restricted-use pesticide paired with a traditional residual herbicide. We have a regional weed management recommendation tool, and that’s a great resource to help farmers make the best plan for their area. When your fields start clean, you can stay clean, and the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System guarantees it with the Spray Early Weed Control Guarantee.”
What is the Spray Early Weed Control Guarantee? Cullen explains, “Our team behind the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System is confident that spraying early can give you the control you need to see success in your soybean fields. However, if you follow all of our program requirements and you still experience less than commercially acceptable performance on labeled weeds, Bayer will pay up to $26 an acre to assist on an additional application. Farmers can visit sprayearlyguarantee.com, where they can find program details and take the quiz to see if they qualify.”
If you are spraying early, Cullen details the steps you should take.
“By now, most farmers will have already completed the first step by preparing their fields for the next planting season, either through burn down or some form of tillage. Pre or at planting, though, farmers should apply XtendiMax herbicide and a residual herbicide for at least two modes of action. If you use XtendiMax pre or at planting, this will qualify you for both the start clean and the stay clean portion of the Spray Early Weed Control Guarantee. In season, farmers can use gluphosinate as a post option. XtendiMax does not actually need to be applied post in order to qualify for the guarantee if you use it pre. Once these steps are completed, farmers can rest assured knowing that they started clean, and they will stay clean and protected by the Spray Early Weed Control Guarantee.”
Cullen explains there are other benefits for farmers when they spray early with the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System.
“Spraying early offers farmers an added cushion of flexibility in their weed management strategy. They don’t have to stress as much about unpredictable weather affecting weed control, regardless of what weather patterns are going on in their regions. Spraying early also puts you at that much farther ahead to controlling weeds in your fields, and the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System provides protection against more than 335 weeds. That’s based on approved EPA herbicide labels for the herbicides recommended for use in each system, as of January 21. Weeds are competing for resources, and every weed you have in your field, even if the weeds make that only a small percentage of that field, can lead to a big reduction in yield. So, the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System’s here to help farmers maximize yield potential by helping to control tough weeds in their fields.”
XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology must be used with VaporGrip® Xtra Agent (or an equivalent volatility reduction adjuvant). Applicators must check XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com no more than 7 days before application of this product for approved tank-mix products, nozzles and other important label information, as well as additional labeling, including state restrictions. Applicators must comply with additional requirements on this website where applicable. Consult your state pesticide regulator for specific restrictions. READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS, IRM, GRAIN MARKETING, AND STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES. ©2023 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.