With planting now well under way in some areas of the country, Dow AgroSciences says its first bag of Refuge Advanced — the company’s refuge-in-a-bag product — has been planted in a field near Silver Lake, KS.

Refuge Advanced powered by SmartStax contains a blend of 95% SmartStax seeds and 5% non-insect-traited refuge seeds. The company received EPA registration on April 8.

This new product eliminates the need for a structured refuge planting in the Corn Belt, offering producers the opportunity to plant a single corn product across the field while meeting all refuge requirements for above- and belowground pests.

Both Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences have indicated a limited availability of refuge-in-a-bag corn hybrids for the 2011 growing season, with full commercial launch expected in time for the 2012 planting season.