AVENTIS CROPSCIENCE
Contact: None
New for 2001: Balance herbicide will be sold as a new liquid formulation in 2001. The product is named Balance Pro.
Excited about: Balance Pro herbicide combines the weed control of Balance WDG (granular) with the mixing and handling convenience of a liquid formulation. Retailers have indicated that they plan to increase their sales of Balance given the performance and lack of issues with the product in the 2000 season. Balance Pro was tested on thousands of acres with exceptional performance, and customers were pleased with the mixing and handling characteristics. The LibertyLink elite genetics corn that was treated with Liberty herbicide will again outyield other conventional corn-herbicide combinations in 2000. Farmers with side-by-side comparisons have seen an average of 5.4 bushels more with the LibertyLink system. Farmers are again making early commitments for 2001 LibertyLink seed varieties. Liberty herbicide, in combination with the high-yielding varieties of LibertyLink seed corn, has proven to be as easy as a Roundup Ready soybean program. The Liberty herbicide performance during 2000 was oustanding and will mean even greater Liberty interest and sales in 2001.Both new Balance Pro and Liberty herbicides control the key weeds and grasses that concern corn growers (foxtail, waterhemp, velvetleaf) and a total of more than 100 weeds and grasses. New high-yielding varieties of corn with the LibertyLink gene will be introduced for 2001, and will result in increased use of Liberty herbicide. Balance Pro, because it is a liquid formulation, will fit into bulk retailer operations better than the former granular formulation. In general, many more farmers will be using these herbicides in 2001 because of their proven effectiveness in 2000.

BASF CORPORATION
Contact: 800/326-1810
New for 2001: Outlook herbicide (new grass herbicide).
Excited about: With the acquisition of American Cyanamid, BASF is excited about its expanded product portfolio and committed team.

BAYER CORPORATION
Contact: 816/242-4847
New for 2001: New for 2001 is the Bayer Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) System for conveniently transporting, handling and mixing larger quantities of dry flowable Axiom, Epic and Domain herbicides. The IBC holds 2,600 pounds of product, delivers 60 pounds of product per minute, fits seamlessly into existing automated liquid mixing systems, and offers retailers and custom applicators the flexibility of connecting to multiple IBC units containing different Bayer herbicides. In addition, the IBC system for DF herbicides provides the convenience of stacking, greater accuracy, increased mobility, outside storage and reduced liability over liquid bulk systems.
Excited about: Most exciting for Bayer is the growing retailer and grower use of and satisfaction with the Bayer portfolio of dry flowable corn herbicides and the acceptance of the Accu-Bin and IBC systems for transporting and handling dry flowable products. Our focus in the corn herbicide market combines effective chemistries, superior formulations and innovative delivery systems that provide the greatest value to retailers, custom applicators and their grower customers.

DOW AGROSCIENCES
Contact: 317/337-4805
New for 2001: The formulation of Hornet herbicide will change for the 2001 application season making it more user-friendly for custom applicators and producers. With the new formulation, prior-recommended standard application rates of 2.4 ounces per acre (post-applied) and 3.2 ounces per acre (soil-applied) will be amended to an even 3.0 ounces per acre and 4.0 ounces per acre, respectively. The new Hornet WDG herbicide also carries a lower human handling classification of “warning” versus “danger.” The new Hornet WDG delivers the same amount of active ingredient per acre as the original Hornet formulation. Hornet is available in both water soluble packets (PVA) or six-pound jugs; applicators and farmers should have no concerns about the quality of weed control and excellent crop safety that has established Hornet as a leader in corn herbicides over the past four years.
Excited about: The success of Hornet has been very exciting for Dow AgroSciences. In just four short years, Hornet has become an established leader among all corn herbicide products. The superb weed control and uncompromised crop safety of Hornet has undoubtedly contributed to its success. And while we are thrilled with the success of Hornet post-applied, we are also very excited that more and more dealers and producers are discovering the fit Hornet has as a soil-applied treatment option. Hornet tank-mixed with a grass herbicide or an atrazine premix partner such as Surpass 100, Harness X-tra or Bicep II Magnum, gives dealers and producers a total grass and broadleaf control package before corn and weeds emerge. This will free up their time for other applications when the growing season is in full swing.

DUPONT
Contact: 715/386-5045
New for 2001: With the shift away from soil-applied herbicides, winter annuals have become an increasing problem in many areas of the Midwest. Corn growers in the Midwest can now treat winter annual broadleaf weeds and grasses with an application of DuPont Basis herbicide in the fall to get corn planting off to a cleaner start in the spring. Applied in the fall, Basis controls winter annual broadleaf weeds such as chickweed, henbit and dandelion, as well as foxtails and other winter annual grasses, so growers will have cleaner fields at planting time. With cleaner fields, growers will have more time to plant corn because they won’t have to wait for a spring burndown treatment to work. A fall application may eliminate the need for a spring application altogether. That means growers can save money and have more time to work around the weather at planting time, or to get other things done in the spring. The bottom line: Corn growers will get a jump on spring with a fall application of Basis herbicide. Other benefits of a fall application of Basis herbicide include:
• By controlling winter annuals in the fall, soils dry out faster and warm up quicker for more ideal planting conditions.
• The reduced weed pressure in the spring makes it easier to plant – resulting in better seed-to-soil contact, better emergence and a better overall corn stand.
• Winter annuals such as henbit are alternative hosts for soybean cyst nematodes. Controlling these weeds helps growers manage this pest and reduce pressure in a subsequent soybean crop.
• A fall application of Basis offers reliable burndown – even under cool conditions – plus residual activity to keep winter annual broadleaf weeds and grasses under control till spring.
• Growers have a wide application window to make a fall application of Basis herbicide, from right after harvest to before the ground freezes on fields going into corn the following spring.
• The following spring, growers can use DuPont Accent Gold, Accent, Basis Gold or Basis herbicide to control weeds.
Excited about: Think fall to get a jump on the spring. We’re continuing to look at ways to offer retailers and growers more choices to manage weed problems, while helping them manage time, risks and profitability. A fall application of Basis herbicide is a good example of that. Winter annuals are becoming more of a problem on farms throughout the Midwest as more growers shift away from soil-applied products with residual control. These weeds explode in the fall after the crop is off, leaving a heavy mat across the field in the spring. We’ve been working with retailers and growers alike in studying the agronomic benefits of a fall application. Based on this work, we’re now marketing two fall-apply programs – one for corn, and one for soybeans. Growers can apply Basis herbicide in the fall for ground going into corn to control winter annuals, and growers can make a fall tank-mix application of DuPont Canopy XL and Express herbicides for ground going into soybeans to control winter annuals, such as henbit and purple deadnettle, which are alternative hosts for soybean cyst nematodes (SCN). By controlling winter annuals for cleaner fields in the spring, both fall application programs will help retailers and growers improve productivity, reduce risks and get the crop off to a timely, healthy start to maximize yields.

FMC CORPORATION
Contact:
New for 2001: Aim herbicide received approval for use on sweet corn for processing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also approved Aim for use on grain, sorghum, rice, barley and oats. The key weeds that Aim controls in corn are common lambsquarters, morningglories (ivyleaf and pitted), eastern black nightshade, redroot pigweed and velvetleaf. The list of suppressed weeds includes waterhemp, cocklebur, common sunflower, kochia, field bindweed, Pennsylvania smartweed, palmer amaranth, prickly sida and common ragweed. Aim costs about $2.50 an acre at the standard use rate of one-third ounce per acre in corn. It has previously been used for post-emergence weed control in field corn, popcorn, corn silage, wheat and soybeans. Aim is normally recommended for use in a tank-mix to provide total broadleaf weed control. Aim is registered for all states except California. The active ingredient in Aim herbicide is carfentrazone-ethyl.
Excited about: FMC Corporation will launch a new pre-emergence soybean herbicide under the trade name Gauntlet. Gauntlet was registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 16, 2000. The new herbicide combines sulfentrazone, the active ingredient in Authority herbicide, and cloransulam-methyl, the active ingredient in FirstRate herbicide manufactured by Dow AgroSciences. These two chemistries are a perfect match because sulfentrazone provides excellent control of broadleaf weeds like waterhemp, nightshade, lambsquarters and nutsedge, while cloransulam-methyl is outstanding on weeds like giant ragweed, cocklebur and wild sunflower. Gauntlet will control a wider spectrum of broadleaf weeds than any other pre-emergence soybean herbicide on the market. Furthermore, Gauntlet can be applied to all soybeans regardless of soil type, soil pH or corn rotation. When combined with a grass herbicide like Treflan, Pendimax or Command, Gauntlet will control grasses and broadleaves economically through full canopy of the soybean plant with one pre-emergence application.

MONSANTO
Contact: 314/694-6833
New for 2001: Monsanto introduced Roundup UltraMAX herbicide earlier this year. Roundup UltraMAX is a formulation that provides 25 percent more power per gallon and exclusive TranSorb technology, delivering the absolute in weed control and crop safety to Roundup Ready technologies. At recommended use rates growers can spray about 30 more acres from every 30-gallon drum. Ready Master AT2, which was introduced in late 1999 for over-the-top application in Roundup Ready corn, has been approved for pre-emergence use in corn and sorghum. The new supplemental label provides corn and sorghum growers with another tool that offers both burndown and residual activity on tough grass and broadleaf weeds for use prior to planting. The supplemental label allows application on fields to be planted to corn or sorghum at a rate of 1.5 quarts to 2 quarts per acre. Applications can be made up to 14 days prior to planting. The 2-quart rate contains as much glyphosate as one quart of Roundup Ultra herbicide plus one pound of atrazine.
Excited about: Monsanto is excited about the ability to offer growers a complete program for pest control utilizing the advances of biotechnology along with state-of-the-art formulations of more traditional herbicides.

NOVARTIS CROP PROTECTION
Contact: 800/334-9481
New for 2001: Expert corn and milo herbicide ((S-metalochlor plus atrazine plus glyphosate). Registration expected for 2001 season. One-pass herbicide for grass and broadleaf weed control with built-in burndown for no-till and reduced tillage. Contains benoxacor for crop safety in corn.

VALENT U.S.A
Contact: 925/256-2812
Excited about: Resource Herbicide tank mixed with glyphosate over the Roundup Ready corn/soybeans to make control complete.

ZENECA AG PRODUCTS
Contact: 515/222-4824
New for 2001: Zeneca Ag Products anticipates registration of a new and improved formulation of Touchdown herbicide in time for use during the 2001 growing season. New Touchdown features a new balanced adjuvant delivery system for the active ingredient, glyphosate. It delivers high-performance, non-selective weed control in all burndown uses and is crop safe for over-the-top applications on Roundup Ready corn, soybeans and cotton.
Excited about: Pending registration of the new Touchdown, Zeneca will be pleased to offer growers a non-selective herbicide that meets their burndown and post-emergence application needs in Roundup Ready corn.