U.S. EPA supports Monsanto’s XtendiMax® product label updates

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced enhancements to Monsanto’s XtendiMax® with VaporGrip® Technology (XtendiMax®) product label that will help ensure farmers have even more success with the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System (System) in 2018. The updates, which were voluntarily proposed by Monsanto and are supported by the EPA, include mandatory training, new record keeping requirements, and a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) designation, which will limit sale and use to certified applicators or those acting under their supervision.

The System is Monsanto’s newest offering to help soybean and cotton farmers manage tough-to-control weeds. In 2017, the soybean and cotton seeds were planted on more than 26 million acres in the United States. XtendiMax®, Monsanto’s low-volatility dicamba product, has been used as part of the System across many of those acres to help control problematic weeds. The feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive.

“The vast majority of farmers using our low-volatility dicamba product have had tremendous success in 2017, both with on-target applications and good weed control,” says Ty Vaughn, Monsanto’s Global Regulatory Lead. “The product was extensively tested for volatility and other forms of off-target movement before it was made available to farmers this season. We are confident XtendiMax® can continue to be used successfully in the System next season.”

Based on feedback from farmers and applicators that training offered by Monsanto and others helped them use XtendiMax® successfully in 2017, the product label has been updated so that training will be mandatory in 2018. The new record keeping requirements will track label compliance and help protect farmers who use this product according to all label instructions.

“Based on the science behind our low-volatility dicamba product and learnings from the 2017 season, we are confident the required training and record keeping can address the main causes of off-target movement,” says Vaughn. “We want to stress how important it is that farmers use products approved by the EPA for use over the top of dicamba-tolerant crops, and use them in accordance with all label requirements.”

Beyond the label enhancements, Monsanto is taking a variety of steps to help customers use XtendiMax® successfully in 2018, including:

•    Evolving and tailoring our trainings based on learnings from 2017
•    Working with our team at The Climate Corporation to help farmers more easily identify problematic weather
•    Distributing spray nozzles, that are compliant with the product label, at no cost
•    Setting up a technical support call center to help customers easily access information on best practices and application requirements
•    Continuing to offer an incentive of up to $6 per acre when using XtendiMax® with VaporGrip® Technology through Roundup Ready PLUS® Crop Management Solutions

“This is an exciting time for modern agriculture,” says Vaughn. “Whether it’s a new digital tool that helps collect and analyze data about a field, a new seed option that can better resist disease, or a new crop protection product like XtendiMax® that can help manage tough-to-control weeds, farmers today have access to a wide variety of innovative tools to improve their harvests and protect their resources. We are proud to play a role in bringing new tools to farmers and moving agriculture forward.”