Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
March 2, 2017
Excellent weed control is not enough. Farmers need a herbicide solution that stays on target and limits the risk of damaging neighboring plants and crops. Research shows that Enlist Duo® herbicide is superior to other technologies because it delivers less drift and near-zero volatility.
Farmers with fields near susceptible crops and plants can use Enlist Duo on Enlist™ crops with confidence. By applying Enlist Duo according to label instructions, they can limit the danger of harmful off-target movement. 
Enlist Duo herbicide, a combination of glyphosate and new 2,4-D choline, features Colex-D® technology. This formulation helps Enlist Duo stay on target. In real-world applications across the Corn Belt and the South over the last two years, there have been no reports of off-target movement of Enlist Duo damaging neighboring crops.
Performance wins advocates
“In the past, tomato growers have had negative experiences with off-target herbicide movement,” says Steve Smith, director of agriculture at Red Gold, Inc., producers of premium quality tomato products. “They’re concerned about any pesticide that may damage their crop.”
Naturally, producers of specialty crops are interested in how Enlist Duo performs compared with other herbicides currently in use. Dow AgroSciences worked with Indiana-based Red Gold to understand the impact of off-target movement. Red Gold provided tomato plants for field trials to assess the performance of Enlist Duo herbicide near susceptible plants. These trials have helped put concerns about drift and volatility to rest.
“I got a first-hand look at Enlist Duo in lab and field work,” Smith says. “It was really impressive. It’s not the old 2,4-D. Dow has a formulation that limits volatility.”
This lack of drift and near-zero volatility with Enlist Duo is winning over people involved in production of specialty crops as well as corn, soybean and cotton growers.
Benefits show up in the field
Farmers who’ve seen applications of Enlist Duo herbicide realize the advantages it offers. In addition to exceptional weed control, they’re getting a product that helps them mitigate concerns about damage to surrounding susceptible plants.
“Growers can control drift by choosing the right conditions, the proper nozzles, boom height and so on,” says Pat Duncanson, a Minnesota farmer. “But we can’t control the weather after application. The only way to control volatility is to choose a herbicide with extremely low volatility.”
The herbicide that impresses Duncanson is Enlist Duo.
“I’ve seen how stable the Enlist Duo platform is,” says Duncanson, who has attended demonstrations and test plots. He also has tried the Enlist™ system on his own farm. “Enlist Duo will stay where you put it.”
Red Gold’s Smith is sold on the lack of herbicide movement.
“We’re confident the volatility problems we see in other herbicides should be avoided with Enlist Duo,” he says. “If the applicator follows the label, there should be no movement. I can’t say that about other herbicide formulations so far. They don’t have the same safety considerations we believe Enlist Duo offers.”
Awareness of susceptible crops
Farmers want to spray responsibly. Awareness of susceptible crops grown in their area is key to following label requirements. For instance, Duncanson in Minnesota has many specialty crops planted nearby, including peas and other vegetables.
Trey Koger, a Mississippi cotton farmer who has planted a grower research plot of Enlist™ cotton, emphasizes the need to be aware.
“We have a wide array of crops in Mississippi,” Koger says. “In our area, we have cotton, corn, soybeans, rice, peanuts, sweet potatoes and sorghum. In addition we have pecan and other trees, gardens and flower beds. All of these can be susceptible to off-target movement of herbicides.”
He says it’s essential to know what’s growing in your area, especially any susceptible vegetation downwind. Then it’s a matter of following the label to avoid any impact on neighboring plants. “If you do it right, you reduce the chance of any problems,” Koger says. 
Widening confidence in Enlist Duo® herbicide
Smith saw the precision of Enlist Duo during trials that placed Red Gold tomatoes next to Enlist soybeans. Enlist Duo was sprayed right next to the tomatoes, and there was no impact on the tomato plants. This collaboration helped show how effective Enlist Duo is at staying on target.
“I was very appreciative of how Dow went about working with us and understanding our concerns,” Smith says. “They opened a dialog. That’s not normal anymore. I am very appreciative of how Dow AgroSciences is doing business.”
Corn, soybean and cotton growers — as well as growers of specialty crops — can learn more about the Enlist™ weed control system at Enlist.com.
About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences discovers, develops, and brings to market crop protection and plant biotechnology solutions for the growing world. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and had annual global sales of $6.2 billion in 2016. Learn more at www.dowagro.com. Follow Dow AgroSciences on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+, or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.
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