Yes, there are still a few key Xtend varieties that will be available. However, with tolerance only to Roundup and dicamba, how are you going to kill Roundup-resistant weeds if dicamba does not get labeled?
WHY PLANT XTEND? THIS ANSWER IS PRETTY SIMPLE.
There are a few varieties on the market that have the Xtend trait that have fantastic defense to one or more key problems for specific areas. For example, if the very best IDC (iron deficiency chlorosis) tolerant bean is in the Xtend platform, I can certainly see the temptation to keep planting it on problem fields. Since Enlist and XtendFlex have been out for a while now, the defense on some of the top varieties with those herbicide-tolerant traits is awfully good, too.
I’d encourage you to take another look at the new trait platforms, as I firmly believe you can switch over safely now.
XtendFlex has tolerance to dicamba and Roundup like Xtend, and it adds tolerance to Liberty, which is a game-changer. Now you have all the good things from Xtend PLUS a way to kill Roundup-resistant weeds with post-emerge applications. This year, we saw a large percentage of growers use Liberty rather than products like XtendiMax or Engenia for post-emerge weed control and it worked very well.
Obviously, the best solution to fight weed resistance building to any herbicide is to use multiple modes of action with every pass.
Using a dicamba product as part of the weed control program would be ideal, but with no dicamba products currently labeled for use in-crop, Liberty is a great option to fill the void.
THERE ARE DICAMBA PRODUCTS GOING THROUGH THE LABELING PROCESS IN THE UNITED STATES AS YOU READ THIS ARTICLE.
We hope there will be an indication soon if products like XtendiMax and Engenia will be approved for use either pre-emerge, post-emerge, or both. Even if they do not receive approval, using the 3 Pre strategy down (trifluralin or Prowl PLUS metribuzin PLUS Authority or Valor) and coming back over the top with 43 ounces of Liberty and another residual product like Warrant Ultra or Anthem Maxx is a solid overall program.
The bad is that the maximum labeled rate of Enlist One remains the same: 1 quart per acre. The good is you can still use Enlist One pre or post-emerge as part of your total weed control program. The key here is it should only be PART of your program. We still recommend using the 3 Pre program for soil residual control of weeds. If you’re planting Enlist soybeans, this is the only truly safe platform to include 2,4-D with the burndown if you choose. Post-emerge, we like Enlist One only at the maximum labeled rate of 1 quart per acre on small weeds. If weed pressure is thick or some of the weeds are getting taller than two to three inches or if there are weeds that 2,4-D isn’t strong on, add Liberty at 32 to 43 ounces. There are a lot of qualifiers there. The point is, I really don’t know any farmer who runs with that low of a rate of a 2,4-D product anymore all by itself in any other situation other than in Enlist Soybeans. Not in ditches, pastures, farmyards, or really anywhere do I see farmers leaving out a tankmix partner for 2,4-D or else running double that rate. Enlist One is an excellent product, but since you can only use it at 1 quart per acre, you need to catch weeds when they are very small or add a tankmix partner. Our best success, even on tall weeds, has come with 32 to 43 ounces of Liberty plus 1 quart of Enlist One. Our best success, even on tall weeds, has come with 32 to 43 ounces of Liberty plus 1 quart of Enlist One.
The yield differences between XtendFlex and Enlist have not been big enough to recommend one trait over the other. The breeding programs are putting their best genetics into each of the traits, so there is great material to work with in both platforms with excellent yield and defensive qualities. You may have an advantage with Enlist this year in that Enlist One is fully labeled for post-emerge use, whereas dicamba products are currently not labeled for use in XtendFlex soybeans yet. We hope the dicamba products get approval in time for next growing season, but we will continue to watch the progress on those labeling efforts.