Features Agronomy Genetics/Traits
Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean trait expanded

North American growers can expect broader access to the technology. In Canada, the technology can be incorporated into the Brevant seed brand, and in the United States, the technology can be incorporated into the Mycogen and Dairyland Seed brands.

Soybeans containing the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend trait are equipped with dicamba and glyphosate herbicide tolerance and build upon existing yield technologies. Additional terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.

Growers and researchers have anticipated the availability of dicamba-tolerant soybeans in Canada, especially given soybean’s sensitivity to dicamba.

In particular, a team of researchers at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus investigated the response of glyphosate-resistant soybean to a dicamba spray tank contamination. The study looked at the effects of spray tank contamination during vegetative and reproductive growth stages.

The results showed that even a little dicamba spray tank contamination can cause significant crop injury. Higher concentrations of dicamba contamination resulted in noticable yield losses – some up to 15 per cent. Other studies cited reproduced similar results. 

Peter Sikkema, one of the researchers involved in the dicamba spray tank contamination study, also studies the impact of late herbicide application on soybeans. 

The dicamba-resistant soybeans will become part of Brevant seeds portfolio in Canada, where soybeans are a prominent crop. In 2018, 6.3 million acres of soybean were seeded, with 2017 being a record year for the crop. 

Related articles:

• Late herbicide applications on soybeans
• Dicamba-tolerant soybean moving forward