Dow AgroSciences names its newest herbicide Offering Duo

Dow AgroSciences announced the name of a new herbicide, Duo, which is the key component of the Enlist system.

With Enlist, growers will gain crop tolerance to 2,4-D along with Monsanto's Roundup Ready technology. Unlike previous 2,4-D products, Dow's new 2,4-D choline is powered by their proprietary Colex-D technology. Damon Palmer, Dow's U.S. lead for the Enlist system, says the Enlist Duo herbicide is a combination of glyphosate and the new 2,4-D choline.

The Colex-powered 2,4-D component of Duo will provide growers with a powerful boost to a traditional glyphosate-only post-emergence weed control program. Dow representatives are excited about Duo's potential to control difficult weeds, such as Palmer amaranth, marestail and waterhemp.

Of course, many growers are well aware of 2,4-D's propensity for drift- and volatilization-related damage. Dow has conducted numerous tests with their new concoction of 2,4-D. Thus far, everything indicates this isn't the 2,4-D of the past.

In volatilization tests, Dow placed a 4X rate of their 2,4-D versus traditional formulations in row with soybeans and cotton. Scientists then placed a hood over the row and created artificially warm and humid conditions. In the highly volatile environment, the damage to cotton and soybeans was significant when using past 2,4-D formulations. With the Colex-D technology, damage was negligible.

Enlist is still pending regulatory approval. Palmer expects it will be commercially available in corn in 2013. For soybeans, expect commercialization in 2015. Cotton should follow shortly thereafter.

Bryan Young, weed specialist with Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, says southern Illinois has confirmed three glyphosate resistant weeds to date: marestail, waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. Additionally, many suspect there are resistant populations of giant ragweed.

For many central Illinois farmers, this was the first year they dealt with glyphosate resistance. Problems controlling waterhemp have reached "train wreck" proportions, Young says.  He expects in just three years, over 70% of Illinois fields will be combatting glyphosate resistant waterhemp.