February 4, 2016
Monsanto''s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ Soybeans available for 2016 season
Monsanto has announced its commercial launch plans for its Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ soybeans after it received import approval in China.
This technology has been highly anticipated by farmers and is currently available in the US and Canada for the 2016 season.
"We are pleased to bring Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans to the market," said Brett Begemann, Monsanto''sPresident and Chief Operating Officer. "After a decade of development, the new and elite germplasm in Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans can provide growers with outstanding performance in their efforts to produce the best crop possible."
Monsanto''s Asgrow®, Channel® and other regional brands, along with Corn States licensees, expect to introduce more than 70 soybean products across eight maturity groups with agronomic traits including resistance to nematodes and phytophthora root rot.
Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are broadly licensed to more than 100 seed brands.
Although Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are tolerant to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, the use of dicamba herbicide over the top of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans remains in late stage of Environmental Protection Agency''s (EPA) review and is not currently approved by the agency.
Once approved, the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System- including Bollgard II® XtendFlex® cotton- will offer growers a vital tool for managing glyphosate-resistant weeds.
According to a Monsanto staff, demand for Roundup Ready 2 Xtend™ soybeans has been strong. "To date, we''ve had significant pre-orders from farmers and are excited to move forward with commercialisation," Miriam Paris, US Soybean Marketing Manager, said.
"Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are built on the same high-yielding germplasm as Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybeans, which continue to deliver a greater than four bushel per acre advantage as compared to the original Roundup Ready® soybeans. Pending dicamba approval, growers will continue to maximise their yield opportunity through the weed management recommendations and incentives provided by Roundup Ready PLUS® Crop Management Solutions," Paris added.