Cotton and corn producers are using a residual herbicide on nearly 100% of their acres.

Soybean growers? Not so much.

"We need to get that number up significantly," Monsanto Co. Vice President of Crop Protection Michael Frank said during the 92^nd American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting this week in Atlanta.

The learning curve for farmers facing weed resistance has been five years. For example, glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth was documented in Georgia in 2005. Today, growers across the state are proactively fighting weed resistance.

Monsanto wants to smooth that learning curve for soybean growers.

"We're trying to put forward one single, simple message," Frank said.

That message: use the right product at the right rate at the right time.

The product varies. Herbicides must be rotated.

The rate is the labeled rate for the crop and soil. Do not cut rates.

The right time is early. Treat weeds when they are small.

To encourage growers to use residual herbicides, Monsanto is offering a $3 rebate on Roundup Ready soybean in fields treated with Roundup. Qualifying herbicides for soybean growers and the potential rebates under the Roundup Ready Plus program are:

Monsanto also has assembled a team of 18 technical representatives across the country to work with growers on weed management. A Monsanto Web site - www.monsanto.com/weedmanagement – also offers weed management information.

"It's a communication and education initiative," Frank said.