As of early October EPA had yet to make a decision regarding over-the-top use of dicamba in soybeans and cotton.
And by that time, Bayer and BASF had each announced several new products, including seed and chemistries, that relied on dicamba’s approval for full use. Here’s a look at what companies had announced:
XtendFlex
With approval from the European Union, Bayer plans for a full launch of XtendFlex soybeans in 2021. They will launch the product in the U.S. and Canada and are ready to supply 20 million acres of the product. It features tolerances to three herbicides: glyphosate, dicamba and glufosinate. The company says it has a supply plan to meet the 2020 market demand across all maturities, Bayer brands and licensees.
Tank Mix Products
BASF and Bayer are each creating volatility-reducing tank-mix partners for their dicamba products.
BASF’s new product, Sentris, works in a tank mix to stabilize the pH of the dicamba product to help keep it above a pH of 5, reducing volatility risk.
Bayer’s new product, VaporGrip Xtra, reduces the volatility potential of XtendiMax. It can be tank mixed to reduce applicator risk.
Dicamba Premix
BASF is set to launch Engenia Prime, a premix with pyroxasulfone (Zidua), imazethapyr (Pursuit) and dicamba (Engenia). The premix includes group 2, group 4 and group 15 herbicides.
The premix will be registered for use in soybeans and has an 18-month plant back restriction for cotton. Use rates and more tank prep information will be available upon EPA approval.
One additional major question on farmers’ minds as they make seed purchases that include dicamba tolerances is: Will I be able to apply dicamba with it?
Bayer says it is going to give farmers a seed unit price reduction if they purchased Xtend seed and XtendiMax isn’t available for use in 2021. For cotton, there’s a $40 unit reduction. Depending on if they purchase XtendFlex versus Xtend, there’s a $3 to $7 unit reduction.
And then on October 27, EPA issued its new label for three formulations of dicamba for over-the-top application.
