American growers have heard a lot about the Enlist™ weed control system coming to market soon in soybeans and many are eagerly awaiting full approval so they can take advantage of this new herbicide system. The term “full approval” refers to approvals of the new trait stack by all markets that import soybeans globally.

Currently, all import markets have approved the Enlist trait stack except China and the Philippines.  Many professionals in the seed business are not concerned about the lack of approval in the Philippines where there is a known process for approval and Enlist is on an appropriate timeline for 2019 planting.  China, on the other hand, is a bit more concerning. From the outside looking in, China’s approval process appears more political than scientific, with no known timelines on the approval of Enlist technology.  Interestingly, there have been recent rumors that Chinese approval could come prior to the 2019 planting season.

If Enlist E3™ soybeans receive full market approvals in time, Burrus, and other seed dealers, will have a limited supply of Enlist E3 soybeans to offer for the 2019 planting season because the seed beans were grown in 2018. We saw great results from the Enlist E3 soybeans in yield, agronomics and weed control.

Enlist E3 soybeans provide three herbicide tolerances: glufosinate, glyphosate and the new 2,4-D choline. The flexibility of having three major herbicide systems that work over the top of these soybeans allows growers to tailor their herbicide application to the specific weed issues in their field and ward off resistance by using multiple modes of action in each pass.

New 2,4-D choline is currently available under two label names, Enlist Duo® and Enlist One™. Enlist Duo is a convenient, proprietary blend of 2,4-D choline and glyphosate. Enlist One is a straight 2,4-D choline with additional tank-mix flexibility.

The Enlist system creates a safer weed control alternative in the marketplace. 2,4-D choline has been used in the southern United States in cotton successfully for several years. Cotton is highly susceptible to 2,4-D, much like how soybeans are to dicamba. Many acres have been sprayed with Enlist herbicides, without any reports of off target damage to date.

If weed resistance is baffling all your efforts to control it, this new trait might fit your operation perfectly.