Cotton Farmers See Benefits of the Enlist Weed Control System

From Cotton Grower 2017-18 Product Showcase

Cotton Farmers See Benefits of the Enlist Weed Control System

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Arkansas farmer Jack Kent (right) and Enlist Field Specialist Scott Wright inspect the boll load and fruit retention of PhytoGen cotton with the Enlist trait.

 

With more than 500,000 acres of PhytoGen brand cottonseed with the Enlist trait (W3FE) planted in 2017, many cotton farmers are seeing firsthand how the Enlist weed control system works. Those who’ve planted the W3FE varieties are reporting exceptional control of their toughest weeds.

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Just as important, they’re proving that when applied according to label directions, Enlist Duo herbicide stays in their fields, limiting their concerns about drift and volatility. Enlist Duo is offering some valuable peace of mind.

Weeds weigh on yield

Weed infestations rob the soil of water and nutrients, which can severely limit yield. According to a 2016 Stratus Ag Research study, resistant and tough weeds currently infest more than 100 million acres of American farmland, much of that in Southern states.

“Particularly in cotton, weeds pull your yield down,” says Jack Kent, an Arkansas farmer who is growing PhytoGen brand Enlist cotton this year.

Cotton producers need tools to control weeds so they can strive for higher yield. Enlist Duo herbicide is a proprietary blend of new 2,4-D choline and glyphosate, herbicides with two different modes of action. Enlist Duo features Colex-D technology, which provides several benefits including reduced drift and volatility.

Staying where farmers apply

This is the first year cotton farmers have had access to the full Enlist system. They’re voicing their satisfaction with on-target application, crop tolerance and weed control.

Austin Warbington grows cotton and peanuts in Georgia. “We don’t want any off-target movement,” he says. “When we applied the 2,4-D choline, it seemed to stick really well. I don’t believe we had any off-target movement anywhere that I could see.”

Kent feels the same concerns as Warbington. Enlist Duo put his hesitations to rest.

“We’ve had no drift issues whatsoever,” Kent says.

Wilting weeds

Dean Hansen, a cotton farmer from South Texas, wants clean fields so his cotton can thrive.

“We’ve been able to control weeds that we’ve had to live with in the past,” he says. “Palmer amaranth is our biggest challenge, and from what we’ve seen, we think we got 100% control. With Enlist Duo, we’ve been able to take it out of the picture.”

Kent agrees. “The interesting thing about our field is there’s no pigweeds, and we didn’t put a layby out,” he reports. “That was amazing.”

“We want a clean field,” Warbington says. “We have almost a zero-tolerance policy for any type of weed. If we see it, we go get it. After applying a tank mix of the new 2,4-D choline and glufosinate to the weeds, we have excellent control.”

Performance is the bottom line

“We’re real satisfied with what we’ve seen,” Hansen says. “I can’t wait to get into the Enlist fields and see how it yields. The edges look good.”

Kent notes his PhytoGen brand varieties are performing well this summer.

“I’ve been very impressed,” he says. “I’ve never seen cotton like this before. It’s different than anything we’ve ever planted. This cotton is retaining fruit at a level I’ve never seen before in my life. We’ve been growing cotton for 25 years, and I’ve never seen cotton fruit and retain fruit at this level.

“Every part about this system has worked really well,” Kent adds. “I believe if you will do what it says on the label of Enlist Duo that you’re not going to have any problems. I feel confident this particular herbicide is going to do exactly what it’s supposed to do, and part of that is it’s not going to drift over on your neighbor.”

To learn more about the Enlist system, visit Enlist.com. To hear from other farmers using this technology, visit Enlist.com/Experiencing Enlist. You also can follow the Enlist system on Twitter at @EnlistOnline or go to the Enlist You Tube channel.

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