What about the herbicide? Is it approved yet?

Yes, XtendiMax™ (Straight Dicamba) with VaporGrip™ Technology was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 9, 2016. At this point we can now take advantage of the entire Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® platform if the final approval has been granted at the state level. To see if your state has been approved please visit this site. As of December 20, 2016, the following states in the Legend Seeds footprint were approved: Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

What about the buffer?

Previously, the EPA had stated that Xtendimax™ with VaporGrip™ buffer was going to have be around the entire field. On November 9, 2016 the EPA came out with updated regulations that are exactly what they should be in terms of agronomy and stewardship. The new recommendation is for a buffer of 110 feet at a 22-ounce application rate and must be maintained when the Xtend field is downwind to susceptible crops. No buffer is needed if the downwind location is not a susceptible crop, trees, etc.

What about spraying?

There’s a large window of time for application, so the flexibility is going to be beneficial for use from pre-emergence to seven days pre-harvest. To maintain good stewardship, be sure to talk with your neighbors, use the correct application rate with each application, and do not spray if the wind speed is less than 3 MPH or greater than 15 MPH. Do not spray aerially. In addition, use a minimum carrier volume of 10 GPA or higher when treating dense vegetation. Do not exceed 15 miles per hour ground speed. A slower speed generally results in better spray coverage and deposition on the target area. Finally, the spray boom heights should not exceed 24” above the target pest or crop canopy. Set the boom to the lowest effective height over the target pest or crop canopy based on equipment manufacturer’s directions. Triple rinse the tanks immediately after spraying. No ammonium sulfate and ammonium-based additives are allowed in applications that include Xtendimax™ with VaporGrip™ Technology.

What nozzle do we have to use on the sprayers?

Utilize the TTI11004 nozzle with a maximum operating pressure of 63 PSI when applying XtendiMax™ with VaporGrip™ Technology. That’s a coarse to ultra-coarse nozzle. We are aiming for very large, heavy droplets with no driftable fines. For more information and updated nozzle types visit: http://www.xtendimaxapplicationrequirements.com

What about tank mixes?

As of December 2016, there are no tank mixes approved. However, the EPA has approved a process for getting tank mixes approved which we feel is very positive. It is the hope to have a Roundup + Dicamba mix and a Volunteer Corn Product + Dicamba approved by spring, at the very least. For more information and updated information on tank mixes visit: http://www.xtendimaxapplicationrequirements.com

Pricing?

The price will be in the $10.80/A range for XtendiMax™ with VaporGrip™ Technology.

Do I need to mark my field?

Consider using the black and white checkered flags to identify your fields to indicate the technology planted to avoid misapplications. Talk with your Legend Seeds representative about these flags. Secondly, check www.fieldwatch.com to look for sensitive crop registries. Finally, talk with your neighbors and confirm what is planted near your fields.

Anything else we should know?

We are very excited about the yield results that we have seen this year. We are going to be able to help a lot of farmers next summer improve their yields and control their weeds. The other thing that is exciting is the powerful control of broadleaves that XtendiMax will have. On top of that XtendiMax contains up to 14 days of residual in dry conditions which can help get growers to canopy.