Hursh Consulting & Communications Inc.

Dicamba-based weed control systems are coming. BASF and Monsanto have announced significant progress in launching dicamba systems for soybeans and cotton. Dicamba is the active ingredient in Banvel. The companies say field testing has demonstrated excellent weed control and crop safety on dicamba-tolerant soybeans in U.S. trials. The new formulation of the herbicide is said to provide better performance as well as better safety to nearby crops. Upon commercialization, the dicamba tolerance trait is expected to be stacked with the Roundup Ready soybean trait. So what about canola? Canadian officials with Monsanto confirm that dicamba tolerance is being examined. However, the project is very early in the research pipeline. Their concept is a proactive strategy to manage any weed resistance – in other words another mode of action for weed control in canola. Monsanto says it will have to be cost friendly, with no antagonism when combining herbicides. Scientists say there’s a low risk of weeds becoming resistant to dicamba. If the project continues to work its way through the various phases, the commercialization target for canola would be 2020 or 2021. I’m Kevin Hursh.