The first product of a new family of herbicide-tolerance traits has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Dow AgroSciences announced today at a press conference at the annual Farm Progress Show.

This new family of traits from Dow AgroSciences protects yields and delivers cleaner fields with additional herbicide modes of action, including tolerance to 2,4-D.

Submission of the corn trait for USDA review puts the new Dow AgroSciences herbicide tolerant trait technology on schedule for its planned U.S. introduction in corn in 2012, soybeans in 2013 and cotton in 2015. The company says the technology will be available in elite germplasm and stacked with other leading herbicide and insect-resistance traits, offering a single, powerful technology that growers can use across their entire operations.

“With the increasing incidence of glyphosate-resistant weeds, our new herbicide-tolerant trait technology resets the simple glyphosate-tolerant cropping system that growers prefer, offering superior performance at historic glyphosate use rates and allowing growers to continue farming the way they want,” says Tom Wiltrout, Dow AgroSciences manager for global seeds, traits and oils.

The Dow AgroSciences herbicide-tolerance trait package for corn conveys tolerance to broadleaf phenoxy auxin products, such as 2,4-D, as well as to grass “fop” herbicides. These traits will be stacked with other traits offering tolerance to glyphosate and glufosinate, for a total package providing growers superior weed control with the herbicides that they are familiar with and have grown to trust, Wiltrout says.

“A key component of our new offering,” Wiltrout adds, “will be innovative Dow AgroSciences' 2,4-D herbicide technologies to complement the new timing and uses enabled by these traits and supported by a branded stewardship program, including innovative education and training, best practices and enhanced application technologies.”

The company says its new herbicide-tolerant trait technology also provides greater flexibility in 2,4-D use, allowing planting immediately after application as compared to the delays required under current labels. This technology also offers greater reliability and faster elimination of weed competition.