BASF
New for 2001: Prowl herbicide; Thimet insecticide.

Excited about: The new cotton portfolio that has resulted from the BASF acquisition of American Cyanamid will bring cotton producers new opportunities.

DOW AGROSCIENCES
New for 2001: Tracer Naturalyte insect control added thrips to the list of controlled pests at rates of 2.14 to 2.9 ounces per acre. Glyphomax Plus herbicide and Glyphomax herbicide are Dow AgroSciences’ brands of glyphosate.

Glyphomax Plus and Glyphomax are now registered for use on Roundup Ready cotton to control annual and perennial weeds. The formulation of Glyphomax Plus and Glyphomax causes less foaming action, which also settles quicker than other products containing glyphosate. Glyphomax Plus offers enhanced plant uptake, excellent rainfastness and the ability to return to the fields just four hours after application. Additional surfactants may be added to Glyphomax as desired.

Excited about: With the addition of Glyphomax Plus and Glyphomax herbicides, Dow AgroSciences now offers a more complete package of cotton pesticide products that also includes Tracer, Lorsban-4E insecticide, Telone C-17 soil fungicide and nematicide, Telone II soil fumigant and Treflan HFP herbicide.

The unique formulation of Glyphomax Plus and Glyphomax provides reduced foaming action, making mixing and application easier. The convenience of Glyphomax Plus is another advantage for cotton producers — they don’t need to add a surfactant (but may add AMS as desired), and they’ll be able to plant the same day as application because of the short four-hour restricted entry interval.

DUPONT CROP PROTECTION
New for 2001: DuPont Steward insecticide: Received Section 3 EPA registration; controls all major worm pests plus plantbug (Lygus in California); perfect for integrated pest management programs.

DuPont Staple herbicide: Labeled to bolster BXN and Roundup Ready systems; safe for young cotton.

DuPont Staple PLUS herbicide: Gives the residual control of Staple on Roundup Ready cotton; simple to use.

Excited about: Excited about: DuPont Crop Protection offers a complete portfolio of cotton products, technology and services to meet the needs of cotton growers and their retailers and consultants. From the new Steward insecticide to Vydate C-LV (for over and under plant health), to Lannate and Asana, to Staple and Staple PLUS.

FMC CORPORATION
New for 2001: FMC anticipates labeling for Aim herbicide to be used as a defoliant for cotton in 2001. Aim is particularly effective for this use, proving in research to be outstanding compared to its competition. FMC anticipates the economical price and effectiveness of Aim will make it a hit with cotton growers in several defoliation programs.

Experimental Use Permits (EUP): FMC has not applied for an EUP, but will continue its extensive testing of Aim herbicide for post-directed and layby applications in cotton. To date, Aim has performed well in research against key broadleaf weeds. Aim is great on weeds like amaranthus spp., nightshade spp., common purslane, hemp sesbania, morningglories, Pennsylvania smartweed, and velvetleaf. When tankmixed with other herbicides, Aim significantly increases the effectiveness and speed of activity of the program.

Excited about: The most exciting thing FMC has to offer in 2001 is the breadth of new products and applications for growers to use. Gauntlet and Command Xtra are two outstanding soybean herbicides that will allow soybean producers to control weeds pre-emergence like never before. A new label for Capture insecticide to be applied at-planting will give corn growers the power to control rootworm and numerous secondary soil pests all season, even through late hatches. Fury insecticide is a unique crop-safe formulation soon to be labeled for additional crops such as rice, alfalfa, brassicas, field corn, bulb vegetables, leafy vegetables, sweet corn, sugarcane and sugar beets. Aim herbicide also has new labeling on rice, grain sorghum, sweet corn, barely and oats as a broadleaf treatment. In summary, FMC looks forward to an exciting season with many new uses for its product line for 2000-2001.

MONSANTO
New for 2001: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new required refuge options for growing Bollgard cotton for 2001.

Twenty percent sprayed option: This option amends the existing 20 percent (or 20 acres of non-Bollgard for every 100 acres of Bollgard) option with the additional requirement that all Bollgard fileds must be within one mile of the refuge (field border to field border).

Five percent unsprayed option: The requirement for the unsprayed option has been increased from approximately four percent (or four acres of non-Bollgard for every 100 acres of Bollgard to a true five percent, or five acres of unsprayed non-Bollgard refuge for every 95 acres of Bollgard). Additionally, the unsprayed refuge must be at lease 150 feet wide (approximately 48 rows in conventional row width cotton) and all associated Bollgard fields must be within 0.5 miles (field border to field border) of the unsprayed refuge. These requirements apply to all five unsprayed option users, regardless of the percentage of cotton acres in that county planted to Bollgard.

Five percent embedded option: A third option, the “embedded” option, has been added for 2001. Unlike the five percent unsprayed option, this option allows the refuge to be treated with any insecticide at the same time as the Bollgard is treated, as long as the refuge is “embedded” in the “field unit.”

For large fields, five percent of the field would be planted to non-Bollgard variety, the rest with Bollgard. If the Bollgard field needed treatment for bollworms or any other pest, the entire field, including the refuge, could be sprayed with the same insecticide at the same time. The refuge could not be treated with the same insecticide at the same time that all the associated Bollgard fields were sprayed, but could not be treated for bollworms or budworms independently of the associated Bollgard fields. Any fields contained within a one-mile square area can be considered a “field unit.” As required for the five percent untreated option, the embedded refuge within a field or “field unit” must be at least 150 feet wide in all areas where cotton bollworms or tobacco budworms are potential pests.

Monsanto will label and promote only Roundup Ultra and Roundup UltraMAX herbicides for use on or over the top of Roundup Ready cotton. Both of these Roundup branded herbicides require no additional surfactant or additives and have been proven to consistently provide crop safety.

SYNGENTA
New for 2001: Touchdown herbicide: Syngenta anticipates registration of a new, 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 cotton, corn and soybeans.

Action Cotton Defoliant (Fluthiacet-methyl): Expected registration in 2001. Action is a fast-acting, effective cotton defoliant that starts working in just 24 hours. Under favorable environmental conditions, it removes both mature and immature leaves within four to seven days. It is effective at cooler temperatures down to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Action is odorless; has low use rates. Action exhibits visible leaf response within 24 hours and is effective at cooler temperatures down to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Action triggers ethylene release within the cotton plant, initiating the natural leaf abscission process. Cotton-growing regions of the Delta, southeastern United States and Texas. Action is compatible with most commonly used harvest aids, including boll openers and other defoliants.

Centric Insecticide (Thiamethoxam): Expected registration in 2001. Centric controls aphids, tarnished plant bug, thrips, fleahoppers and whiteflies in Bt and conventional cotton. Centric controls many sucking and chewing pests; offers rapid trans-stemic movement; is rainfast once spray has dried; has excellent residual control and low use rates; is compatible with integrated pest management programs; offers excellent compatibility with other crop protection products and excellent crop tolerance. Centric offers fast-acting, longer-lasting control of a broad spectrum of sucking and chewing pests. As a foliar insecticide, Centric combines translaminar and locally systemic activity (trans-stemic) in one effective, easy-to-use product. Southern cotton. Centric will not be registered for use in Arizona or California. Centric is highly compatible with many protection products. Users should check the compatibility and safety of all tank mixes using the standard jar test. Centric is well suited to IPM programs, thanks to low use rates and translaminar movement, which makes the product rainfast after spray material has dried.

Denim Insecticide (Fluthiacet-methyl): Expected registration in 2001. Denim provides targeted control of cotton bollworm, tobacco budworm and beet armyworm (caterpillar stage), but also controls secondary pests such as loopers and suppresses mite populations. Denim is a new chemistry that controls pests that have shown resistance to other chemical classes. Used in rotation or as a tank-mix, it will help extend the effectiveness of pyrethroids, organophosphates and carbamates. Denim acts against the nervous system of the worm. The active ingredient, emamectin benzoate, penetrates the leaf tissue, forming a reservoir of active ingredient that provides up to four to seven days of residual protection. Pests stop feeding within hours of ingesting treated plant tissue or coming in contact with the material, and die within two to four days. Denim also controls worms as they emerge from the egg. Southern cotton.

Adage Insecticidal seed treatment (Neonicotinoid): Expected Registration in 2001. Cotton aphids, western flower thrips and tobacco thrips. Neonicotinoid chemistry is highly active against thrips in cotton. Adage performs well under dry conditions and has long residual activity. Adage has reduced seed loading rates compared to other insecticide seed treatments. Crop, worker and environmental safety is considered excellent compared to many other seed treatment materials. Adage has both contact and stomach activity. It protects the seed in storage and at planting. Adage is rapidly taken up by the roots and translocated into young shoots and leaves where it protects systemically. Southern cotton.

Excited about: Syngenta has a breadth of new products coming to the cotton market in 2001. Pending registration of the new Touchdown, Syngenta will be pleased to offer cotton growers an improved non-selective herbicide choice. Its unique balanced adjuvant delivery system delivers the glyphosate ion more efficiently, while also being more gentle to Roundup Ready crops. And pending registration, new Action, Centric, Denim and Adage will fill out a comprehensive portfolio of cotton solutions, second to none in the industry.

VALENT U.S.A. CORPORATION
New for 2001: New Danitul formulation reduces signal word from “danger” to “warning.”

Excited about: Incorporating the Abbott product lines into Valent’s product line offers a broader line to solve growers’ problems.