BASF and Monsanto are working on the next generation of dicamba-based weed control products for soybeans and cotton, which could be available this decade.

Field tests of the new formulations that were applied over the top of Monsanto’s next-generation dicamba-tolerant soybean technology demonstrated excellent weed control and crop safety on the dicamba-tolerant soybeans, company officials said.

Additional field studies at BASF research locations supported these results and confirmed significantly improved attributes compared to current formulations. This new formulation work offers improved physical characteristics that result in better performance and safety to nearby crops.

 The companies entered into a joint licensing agreement to develop formulations for dicamba for use with herbicide-resistant cropping systems in January 2009. Upon commercialization, the dicamba tolerance trait is expected to be stacked with the Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean trait. Monsanto announced progress in the U.S. regulatory package submissions in July.