5 Ways to Maximize Enlist E3® Soybeans

Soybean genetics and traits have come a long way in recent years. Since its launch in 2019, the Enlist E3 trait has risen in popularity, becoming one of the primary trait options growers rely on. When it hit the market, the trait unlocked a new level of herbicide flexibility while maintaining strong agronomics, meeting a major need for growers in soybean regions.

Just like any other soybean, however, its performance is dependent on how it’s managed. Help your Enlist E3 varieties reach their potential with these five management tips.

New to the platform? Let’s start with some background.

What Is Enlist E3?

Enlist E3 is a soybean trait that provides tolerance to three herbicides: 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate. This gives growers valuable flexibility when managing tough weeds.

With resistance on the rise and weed pressure a relentless challenge, the additional herbicide tolerances can be a powerful tool. There are many different CROPLAN^® soybean varieties with the Enlist E3 trait you can choose from.

Alright, now let’s talk about how we can get the most from Enlist E3.

1. Match the Variety to Your Agronomic Needs

There’s a lot more to consider when it comes to variety selection than traits and maturities alone. We can’t value the trait over the agronomics. We have to look at them together. Here’s how I recommend doing that:

First, pick the trait that will help you address weeds best. In this case, we’re going with Enlist E3. Then, determine the top three “must have” agronomic challenges you need the variety to stand up to. This could be a specific disease, soil type or field condition.

After that, narrow down your search to varieties with those desired characteristics and take a look at local Answer Plot^® data to find the best performing soybeans that fit those agronomic parameters.

It’s important to note that yield plot data should be factored in toward the end of the decision-making process, once you’ve narrowed in on options that match your agronomic needs. If you select a variety that’s not built for the conditions of your fields, you likely won’t meet the yield potential the plot did.

2. Stay Smart About Weed Control

Managing a high-yielding system is like a giant puzzle, and the Enlist E3 trait is just one piece of it. Variety selection, as we talked about, is one. And weed control is another.

While Enlist E3 unlocks the use of 2,4-D choline, it’s important to not over-rely on it. Using just one herbicide will not provide sufficient results in the current year and will impact its long-term efficacy. We need to consider both what’s going to give us the best control this year and what will help us protect the technology into the future.

It’s a good idea to include herbicides with multiple modes of action and residual tank-mix partners in every post-emergence pass. We want to make sure we’re coming at those troublesome weeds from multiple angles.

Having this trait technology is not an excuse to skimp on your pre-emergence herbicides either. You know what they say, “The easiest way to kill a weed is to not let it get out of the ground.” Get ahead of the curve and control weeds before plants emerge. The local expertise of your CROPLAN retailer is a valuable resource to use when designing the right weed control program and tank mixes for your farm.

3. Dive Into the Details

As you put together your puzzle, even the smallest pieces are critical to the end result. When it comes to weed control, don’t limit yourself to the label. That’s the bare minimum, not the gold standard. Adjuvants like water conditioners, surfactants and drift reduction agents can help you optimize the performance and delivery of available technologies. Regular soil and tissue testing can also help you dial in and fine tune your fertility program.

4. Mitigate Risk

Anytime you invest in a crop input, you should be looking for ways to reduce risk and maximize its ROI potential. With CROPLAN seed, there are many tools available for this, such as the Advanced Acre^® Rx program or products like WinPak^® soybean varieties.

The Advanced Acre^® Rx program puts agronomy first, helping you design full-acre plans with data-backed solutions and recommendations. You can start with the Enlist E3 soybeans of your choice and build a successful system around it alongside your local CROPLAN retailer. If you don’t hit your approved yield target at the end of the season, you get your service fee returned to you.*

WinPak varieties are another great tool that can help you cut down risk. With the genetics of two different varieties in one bag, you can purchase one product and plant it on multiple soil types with varying stress loads and still get consistent performance. And yes, there are many Enlist E3 WinPak options to choose from.

5. Leverage Local Expertise

There are many products and add-ons out there that can help you achieve top-end performance, but none are as valuable as the expertise of your local retailer. Even with an advanced trait like Enlist E3, there can still be varying levels of weed control and performance. It all depends on how you manage it.

Your CROPLAN retailer is in the best position to help you not only choose the right seed, but also navigate all the other decisions throughout the season. Your retailer can also provide access to Answer Plot data and all the other perks you can only get when you buy through retail.

Set your Enlist E3 soybean strategy today. Contact your local CROPLAN retailer.