Looking for better weed control options, growers in South Texas are making the season’s first commercial applications of XtendiMax^® Herbicide with VaporGrip^® Technology this spring with positive results.

In Harlingen, Texas, Byron Vassberg is believed to be the first grower in the country this season to make a commercial application of Monsanto’s dicamba herbicide product, XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology. Looking for a new weapon against resistant Palmer amaranth and common ragweed, Vassberg turned to planting Bollgard II^® XtendFlex^® cotton this season on all of his 1,700 cotton acres to allow for the use of this new low-volatilty dicamba option.

On March 2, he made a 22-ounce post-emergence application of XtendiMax Herbicide with VaporGrip Technology, followed by a 22-ounce application of Roundup PowerMAX^® herbicide. Two weeks later, he was pleased with the weed control.

“We sprayed when the weeds were 4 inches tall at the time,” Vassberg said. “The rate worked very well. The spray nozzles Monsanto recommended work incredibly well in terms of drift. We did not use any surfactants for drift control at the time.”

Vassberg made the application with a John Deere^® 4830 at 10 gallons per acre. He monitored weather forecasts, as well as wind speed and direction before he took the sprayer to the field. If wind speed or direction was in the path of a susceptible crop, he waited until the next day.

“With this being the first time we have used this product, we wanted to be very careful, so we made sure the wind was not blowing toward the neighbor’s crop,” he said. “We monitored the weather and sprayed when the wind was right.”

Neighboring crops included sorghum, corn and cotton. He said he’s had no complaints and that it’s all about using common sense and following the label.

Six hundred acres of Vassberg’s total 1,700 acres are irrigated, and the rest is dryland. Vassberg said he is pleased with the emergence and plant establishment in his DP 1646 B2XF cotton variety. He is shooting for “record yield” on his irrigated ground, barring interference from Mother Nature.

Some spots in the 1,700 acres received a second post-emergence application of XtendiMax Herbicide with VaporGrip Technology followed by cultivation, and 14 days later the fields were looking clean.

Byron Vassberg’s field on April 27 showing good weed control and a healthy cotton stand after his first post-emergence application of XtendiMax^® Herbicide with VaporGrip^® Technology.

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ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR USE ON PESTICIDE LABELING.  IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling.  NOT ALL formulations of dicamba or glyphosate are approved for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend^® soybeans or cotton with XtendFlex^® Technology.   ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION.  XTENDIMAX^® HERBICIDE WITH VAPORGRIP^® TECHNOLOGY AND IN CROP USES MAY NOT BE APPROVED IN ALL STATES. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend^® soybeans or cotton with XtendFlex^® Technology.

Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship^® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship^® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship.

Roundup Ready 2 Xtend^® soybeans contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Bollgard II^® XtendFlex^® cotton contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, dicamba and glufosinate. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs.

Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. This result may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Bollgard II^®, Respect the Refuge and Cotton Design^®, Roundup PowerMAX^®, Roundup Ready^®, VaporGrip^®, XtendFlex^®, and XtendiMax^® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. LibertyLink^® and the Water Droplet Design^® are trademarks of Bayer. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2017 Monsanto Company.