When serious drift issues began popping up around the Mid-South in late June, dicamba immediately became the prime suspect.
The reason? Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean seed had been approved for planting in 2016. However, the company’s new dicamba formulation with lower volatility had not. In fact, no dicamba product has been approved for use with the Xtend technology.
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On July 26, Delta Farm Press spoke with Dan Urnikis, Monsanto Industry Affairs Lead, and Kyel Richard, the company’s Product Communications Lead. Among their comments:
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Why did you put the Xtend out without approval of the new formulations? . . .
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“So, farmers tell us they’d prefer to try new varieties on their farm . . . to see which work . . . the best. We chose to launch this year to allow growers to experience the . . . Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans. They can plant with confidence this year in anticipation of the chemical approval for the 2017 growing season.”
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“We have an extensive communication plan – not only to dealers, but to growers, to our technology use guides – ensuring it is clear any over-the-top use of dicamba is illegal. . . . ”
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Monsanto explains actions as dicamba drift fallout continues
