Enlist corn ready to go for 2018

After years of patiently waiting for market approvals, Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist corn hybrids are heading to farm fields in 2018.

The company showed off eight of the 16 hybrids it will make available for 2018 planting at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ontario. Dow Seeds portfolio marketing leader Marty Vermey explains that the program is really a combination of traits and a new herbicide formulation.

Enlist traits provide tolerance to Enlist Duo herbicide, which uses a new 2,4-D formulation to take care of tough weeds. “We’re taking glyphosate and 2,4-D and creating a new formulation all in one package,” says Vermey. “It’s easy to use, easy to apply with low drift and low volatility.”

Vermey adds that the key to Enlist Duo performance is the addition of Colex-D technology, which reduces drift by as much as 90 percent when compared to traditional 2,4-D. The technology helps make the herbicide 99 percent less volatile than other 2,4-D formulations. Vermey also notes that Enlist Duo has a wide application window – from pre-emerge all the way to V8. Enlist corn will be available from Dow Seeds seed partners for 2018.

Many growers are also asking about the status of Enlist soybeans. Vermey says the company is working on approvals for Europe and China, but there is no specific timetable. “We’re ready to engage with seed production, ready to launch as soon as we have approvals.”

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Subscribe to our daily newsletters to keep you up-to-date with our latest coverage every morning.

Wake up with RealAgriculture