Back in 2011, Monsanto fired up a program for corn, soybean and cotton growers looking for recommendations on weed management. Called Roundup Ready PLUS Crop Management Solutions, this platform of products and incentives is geared to help farmers implement a diversified weed management program. Entering its fifth season in 2015, growers in the program will find more choices as the company diversifies the tools available for farmers.

Farmers in the Roundup Ready PLUS program have expanded options for 2015.

In a press release announcing the program, Chris Reat, Roundup Ready PLUS Marketing Manager, notes: "Last year, over 60,000 farmers participated…a key piece of feedback from growers was their desire to access a whole-farm set of solutions for weed and insect management. With this expansion, we will be able to provide tools to help farmers manage these pests."

The new name - Roundup Ready PLUS Crop Management Solutions - builds on solutions for weed management, and reflects a broader scope of products and recommendations that will be available under the program. You can learn more about the basics at RoundupReadyPLUS.com.

The program originally started in cotton country back in 2008 as Cotton Performance PLUS. It became the Roundup Ready PLUS program in 2011 and included weed management recommendations and incentives in cotton, soybeans and corn. Products endorsed in the program have been proven to perform as part of the Roundup Ready cropping system, and farmers are incentivized for using them, the company explains.

New for 2015

Monsanto is adding Rowel and Rowel FX herbicides from Monsanto which provide cotton and soybean growers weed control on tough-to-control large- and small-seeded broadleaf weeds.

And the company is expanding crop protection options to include Precept insecticide for 2015. This builds on the use of Acceleron Seed Treatment Products. Precept insecticide is a soil-applied product in granular form that offers broad spectrum control of soil-borne insect pests such as wireworm, white grubs, corn rootworm, seed corn maggot and black cutworm.

Valent/Sumitomo part of the program

In conjunction with the 2015 Roundy Ready PLUS announcement Monsanto, Sumitomo Chemical Co., and its wholly-owned subsidiary Valent USA Corporation, have extended their strategic partnership in the program. Valent herbicides will continue to be endorsed in Roundup Ready PLUS as a result of the extended partnership including preemergence herbicides such as Valor, Valor XLT Fierce, Fierce XLT and Chateau. And the program includes the post products Cobra, Phoenix and Select Max.