USA
July 19, 2017
Every single day, BASF field reps hop in their trucks, drive down dusty or muddy roads and talk to growers. It’s nothing new. We’re proud to say we have 400 reps in the field at any given time—from coast to coast. Why? Because we want every farmer who buys BASF products to have access to a “real” person who can help them get the most out of our products and ultimately have the best impact on their yield.
Success in the field starts with learning about the latest chemistries and best practices for applying our crop protection products. It only gets better when farmers have a trusted advisor who takes their call and is available to visit their farms. And, we only get better when we see first-hand the challenges faced by growers.
Growers told us they needed to gain control over weed resistance. We saw the issue first-hand: Crops choked out by weeds. Growers looked to dicamba tolerant (DT) cotton and soybeans as the next evolution in farming. That’s why we developed a new dicamba formulation that is effective on more than 200 types of broadleaf weeds, like the tough Tall Waterhemp, Palmer Amaranth, Giant Ragweed and Marestail. BASF has more than 50 years of technical experience with dicamba, and Engenia® herbicide was brought to the market after years of research, farm trials and reviews by universities and regulatory authorities.
BASF and the EPA worked to develop a comprehensive list of best practices and label requirements to maximize efficacy and on-target applications. Farmers across the country have experienced the results they were looking for with the new DT technology. But, not every farmer chose to plant DT fields. And, they shouldn’t be forced into any new technology. It’s their farm.
Watching the collaboration among farmers’ season after season is inspiring, but not surprising. Working together in good times and down turns is a shared value in ag communities. That’s why when a new technology is deployed in some fields and not others, it’s critical to work together. That includes us here at BASF.
It’s wonderful to hear from growers seeing great results as they steward in DT crops. But, it is extremely concerning to hear about non-DT farms experiencing symptomology that they perceive as coming from improper use of the new technology. We all share the same goal: Clean fields and robust yields. Let’s face it—seeing leaves on soybean plants cupping can lead to frustration and concern.
Developing a fact and science based recommendation that focuses on a long-term solution for farmers is a critical part of working together. We can only do that once we have further clarity on the ongoing investigations regarding crop damage presently being attributed to the new low volatility dicamba formulations approved for use with DT crops. We will help affected growers get to the bottom of each and every concern. Our field reps have been there during times of drought, floods and disease. They are here today to help growers who choose this new technology, as well as those who choose another technology, get the results they expect. We believe that weed control technologies that feature different modes of action can and must successfully coexist.
We encourage farmers to work together and reach out to our field staff to address any issues they are seeing in their fields. We pledge our ongoing support.
Need to find a local rep? It’s easy. Click here: http://www.agproducts.basf.us/app/repfinder.html Have questions or concerns?
Email us at engeniaquestions@basf.com.
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