The snow has melted, the days are getting longer and growers have finalized their crop input decisions. The 2018 growing season is here and with it brings some exciting changes and improvements for all those growers planting Monsanto’s Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System.
Monsanto recently launched the RRXtend Spray App, a new tool that will help applicators and growers plan their applications by providing location specific weather forecasts and digital record keeping capabilities and predicting inversion risk for their fields.
“This app will help applicators conveniently see forecasts for their fields, for important weather related label requirements as they apply XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology,” says Ryan Rubischko, Monsanto’s North America dicamba portfolio lead.
Rubischko says the app has three main features, all to help users achieve successful, on-target applications of XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology:
- The weather forecast tool helps growers and applicators plan their applications by predicting weather conditions and inversion risk for their fields. It provides field-level location specific hourly forecasts of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, and inversion risk. The inversion-risk forecast shows the probability (in percent) of an inversion occurring at a specific location. The weather forecasts leverage both publicly available weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and unique models by Climate Corporation weather scientists. Growers must confirm compliant conditions according to the label before spraying.
- The record-keeping feature gives applicators an easy way to comply with mandatory dicamba record keeping requirements when applying XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology. App users can save and export multiple field records and store them on a mobile device.
- The educational resource section connects growers to key resources including training information, materials on approved tank mixes and nozzles, and educational videos featuring insights on methods used in the forecast tool.
The free app is now available for download on the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
“This app is just one additional element of Monsanto’s commitment to continue to provide our farmers and applicators with additional training and resources and tools to ensure they have a successful season this coming year relative to the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System,” says Rubischko
In addition to the mobile tool, Monsanto is providing hundreds of free, in-person training sessions to help reinforce proper use of low-volatility dicamba formulations to control weeds. Under the new federal Restricted Use Pesticide label, training is mandatory for all applicators prior to using low-volatility dicamba formulations, including XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology.
Thousands of applicators and growers have already completed the mandatory training. XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip Technology is registered for in-crop use in 33 states. In 27 of the states, Monsanto is providing training sessions as requested by the states. The other states have specified that university or state officials are providing the training. Monsanto has already trained more than 26,000 applicators at more than 400 training sessions, with numerous additional trainings scheduled in the months ahead.
Growers can visit roundupreadyxtend.com/training to review training dates and locations and to register to attend. New training dates are being added to the site regularly.
According to Rubischko, Monsanto is committed to continuing the dialogue around dicamba and providing growers with the tools they need for success. Customers with questions, feedback or concerns can call 1-844-RRXTEND or visit roundupreadyxtend.com.
