Updated: October 27, 2020
The new registration follows launch announcement for XtendFlex® soybeans and enables full potential of industry-leading Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System
St. Louis, October 27, 2020
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new 5-year registration for XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology, an important weed-control tool for many U.S. growers. The EPA stated that “With today’s decision, farmers now have the certainty they need to make plans for their 2021 growing season. After reviewing substantial amounts of new information, conducting scientific assessments based on the best available science, and carefully considering input from stakeholders we have reached a resolution that is good for our farmers and our environment."
“We welcome the EPA’s science-based review and registration decision providing growers access to this important tool,” said Lisa Safarian, President of Bayer Crop Science North America. “Growers need options, and we are proud of our role in bringing innovations like XtendiMax herbicide forward to help growers safely and successfully protect their crops from tough-to-control weeds.”
The new EPA-approved product label for XtendiMax herbicide includes some changes to further ensure growers can use the product successfully. The EPA stated, “To manage off-site movement of dicamba, EPA’s 2020 registration features important control measures, including:
“Growers have been clear how vitally important this tool is for their weed-management programs,” said Alex Zenteno, Bayer dicamba product manager. “The EPA’s strong science-based decision and new measures, including the introduction of VaporGrip® Xtra Agent, will help growers use the product even more successfully. We look forward to working with growers to ensure they are aware of the new XtendiMax herbicide label and prepared for the upcoming season. We take our stewardship responsibility very seriously, and we will continue to enhance our trainings, resources, and other support heading into 2021.”
The new EPA registration for XtendiMax herbicide follows Bayer’s recent launch announcement for XtendFlex® soybeans, which brings additional yield potential and weed-control flexibility to the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System.
“Now that growers have certainty about the registration of XtendiMax herbicide and availability of XtendFlex soybeans, we are excited for our customers to have an outstanding 2021 season and beyond,” said Safarian. “We are committed to the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System, which will continue to evolve and play an important role in Bayer’s crop protection and seed portfolio going forward.”
The Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System Yield Advantage
“The 2020 season was unique in many aspects, but the yield advantage seen by farmers using the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System proved to be consistently high once again,” said John Chambers, Bayer’s North American Head of Market Development. “Harvest results so far show that the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System has an average 3.5 bushel per acre yield advantage1 over the Enlist™ Weed Control System in farmer managed herbicide systems trials. We’ve seen consistent performance with a 75% win rate across these comparisons. Overall, farmers continue to experience excellent weed control with higher profit potential. We encourage our customers to connect with their local seed seller to understand local performance and product recommendations.”
“In the early results from Bayer’s commercial germplasm trials, farmers continue to experience high-yield performance and the solid agronomics they have come to expect,” added Chambers. “When we look at the performance of Bayer’s top volume XtendFlex® soybean products, they have won over 70% of the comparisons against Enlist E3™ soybeans so far and are delivering a 4+ bushel per acre advantage.2”
“In addition, cotton with XtendFlex® Technology continues to see strong yield potential and agronomic results from what has been harvested thus far,” added Chambers. “Bayer looks forward to sharing the yield results shortly after harvest. From 2017-2019, Bollgard® 3 XtendFlex® cotton saw an 87 lbs. per acre advantage vs. key competitors in head-to-head testing.3”
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Bayer stands fully behind our Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System, including the seeds, traits, and XtendiMax herbicide. We are proud of our role in bringing innovations like these forward to help growers safely and successfully grow healthy crops.
The new EPA registration for XtendiMax herbicide follows Bayer’s recent launch announcement for XtendFlex® soybeans, which brings additional yield potential and weed-control flexibility to the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System. Now that growers have certainty about the registration of XtendiMax herbicide and availability of XtendFlex soybeans, we are excited for our customers to have an outstanding 2021 season and beyond. We are committed to the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System, which will continue to evolve and play an important role in Bayer’s crop protection and seed portfolio going forward.
Growers can find application requirements at xtendimaxapplicationrequirements.com. Additional resources will be added to our webpage before the 2021 spray season.
We will keep RoundupReadyXtend.com updated with the latest state approval information.
XtendiMax herbicide and other low volatility dicamba formulations can be applied over the top of dicamba tolerant cotton and soybeans within the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System. These traits include:
The new product label includes additional measures, including increased downwind buffers, to further reduce the potential for off-target movement and further strengthen the product registration. It is important to emphasize that if a user determines that adjacent sensitive crops and/or certain plants are downwind the label requires that the user DO NOT SPRAY this product.
In ESA counties, a 310-foot in-field wind-directional spray-drift buffer, and a 57-foot omnidirectional in- field buffer is required to protect federally listed threatened and endangered species. The increased downwind buffer provides an added level of protection for endangered and threatened species in EPA's assessment.
The new product label includes additional measures to further strengthen the product registration, including a more simplified label for increased ease of use. Calendar cut-off dates are easy to follow and provide a clear definition on when the product can no longer be used.
We look forward to working with growers to ensure they are aware of the new XtendiMax herbicide label and prepared for the upcoming season. Importantly, mandatory applicator training and record keeping remain important requirements with the new XtendiMax product label. We take our stewardship responsibility very seriously, and we will continue to enhance our trainings, resources, and other support heading into 2021.
Resources will include the following:
Dicamba-based training required for all users will also be available starting in early January. More details about our training and stewardship efforts are available here.
We are always looking to evolve and further enhance all our products to help our customers maximize success.
We stand fully behind our low-volatility XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip Technology formulation. For the last four seasons, the vast majority of growers have reported successful on-target applications when following the label. Still, we support any enhancements that further improve our already low-volatility XtendiMax herbicide formulation. VaporGrip Xtra Agent provides an increased reduction of dicamba volatility potential when added to the tank and we believe this will bring additional comfort and success to growers and applicators.
VaporGrip® Xtra Agent is a tank mix adjuvant that delivers additional Vaporgrip® Technology to spray tanks for further reduction of potential dicamba volatility.
Volatility is the movement of an herbicide as a gas or vapor after spray application. It results from molecules vaporizing into the air after the molecules have settled. We discovered a technology, called “VaporGrip Technology,” that reduces the volatility potential of XtendiMax herbicide by 90% compared to older dicamba products. Click here for a video explaining how VaporGrip Technology works.
VaporGrip® Technology buffers against significant changes in solution pH and prevents the formation of dicamba acid by scavenging extraneous protons.
The XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip Technology formulation already includes VaporGrip Technology in the jug. VaporGrip Xtra Agent is an adjuvant that delivers additional VaporGrip Technology and is added to the spray tank (a separate jug) for further reduction of dicamba volatility.
VaporGrip® Xtra Agent should be used at a minimum rate of 20 oz/A.
VaporGrip® Xtra Agent has been thoroughly tested in field trials by Bayer and US academic weed scientists
This product can be used with any dicamba product to further reduce volatility potential. VaporGrip Xtra Agent products can be used with XtendiMax herbicide and other low-volatility dicamba products as long as the product is an approved tank mix partner.
Growers and applicators can purchase VaporGrip® Xtra Agent products through their preferred retailer.
VaporGrip Xtra Agent products will be widely available at retailer locations in time for the 2021 spray season.
You can refer to the VaporGrip Xtra Agent one-pager.
Bayer has partnered with Adjuvants Unlimited to provide sprayers with D-Act® Spray System Cleaner, which utilizes Fenton reaction technology. The D-Act Tank Cleaner one-pager can be found here.
Bayer will be communicating all programs that include XtendiMax herbicide by mid-November.
Yes, Bayer will offer the 2021 Spray Early with Confidence Weed Control Guarantee. Details can be found here.
No, the Plant with Confidence offer is now cancelled/voided since the EPA has issued a new registration for XtendiMax herbicide and other low-volatility dicamba products prior to February 20, 2021.
On Sept. 28, 2020, the European Commission authorized XtendFlex soybean technology for food, feed, import and processing in the European Union. This milestone represents the final key authorization for XtendFlex soybeans. With this approval in hand, Bayer can now look forward to a full launch in the United States and Canada in 2021 and expects to be in a strong position to supply 20 million U.S. soy acres. More details can be found here.
1 2020 Farmer Managed Soybean System Trials (40 locations in 2020 reporting data located in IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, PA, and SD). Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System data = Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans with a farmer-selected weed control program that may include dicamba, glyphosate and various residual herbicides. Enlist® Weed Control System data = Enlist E3™ soybeans with a farmer-selected weed control program that may include glyphosate, 2,4-D, Liberty® 280 SL herbicide and various residual herbicides.
2 2020 Bayer Commercial Germplasm Trials (94 locations in 2020 reporting data located in IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, SD, TN, and WI) Bayer Commercial Germplasm Trials = 9 of the top 10 volume forecasted XtendFlex products.
3 Data as of February 4, 2020. Yield advantage calculated comparing top 3 Bollgard® 3 XtendFlex® varieties by region to top planted Phytogen WideStrike® 3 with Roundup Ready® Flex and Enlist™ varieties by region (USDA – Varieties Planted report – 2019). Texas regions include DP 1820 B3XF, DP 1845 B3XF, DP 1948 B3XF, DP 1835 B3XF, DP 1916 B3XF vs. PHY 250 W3FE, PHY 300 W3FE, PHY 330 W3FE, PHY 350 W3FE, PHY 480 W3FE, PHY 490 W3FE. Midsouth region includes CG 9608 B3XF, DG 3520 B3XF, DG 3570 B3XF vs. PHY 320 W3FE, PHY 330 W3FE, PHY 350 W3FE, PHY 430 W3FE, PHY 580 W3FE. Southeast and Carolinas region includes DG 3615 B3XF, CG 9608 B3XF, DG 3753 B3XF vs. PHY 300 W3FE, PHY 320 W3FE, PHY 330 W3FE, PHY 340 W3FE, PHY 350 W3FE, PHY 430 W3FE, PHY 440 W3FE, PHY 480 W3FE, PHY 580 W3FE. N= 503 trials (Bayer internal trials and Public Testing) 2017-2019.