Enlist Weed Control System

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The Enlist Weed Control System is an agricultural system that includes seeds for genetically modified crops that are resistant to Enlist (a broadleaf herbicide with two active agents, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and glyphosate) and the Enlist herbicide; spraying the herbicide will kill weeds but not the resulting crop. [1] [2] The system was developed by Dow AgroSciences, part of Dow Chemical Company. [1] In October 2014 the system was registered for restricted use in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin by the US Environmental Protection Agency. [3] In 2013, the system was approved by Canada for the same uses. [4]

Contents

The Enlist approach was developed to replace the "Roundup-Ready" system that was introduced in 1996 by Monsanto and which has become less useful with the rise of glyphosate-resistant weeds. [1]

Enlist Duo

Enlist Duo is an herbicide that contains the choline form of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and glyphosate plus an unknown number of unlisted ingredients. Dow added chemicals to the mixture in what it termed "Colex-D technology". [5]

2,4-D is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. [6] [7] 2,4-D is volatile and by EPA assessment is a hazardous air pollutant that is difficult to contain.[ citation needed ] According to Dow, the Colex-D formulation reduces drift and damage from evaporation. [8] As of 2013 glyphosate was the world's largest-selling herbicide, with sales driven by glyphosate-resistant genetically modified crops. [9]

Other countries assessing the system include Brazil, Argentina and various food importing countries. [10]

Enlist crops

As of April 2014 maize and soybeans resistant to 2,4-D and glyphosate had been approved in Canada, [10] and in September 2014 the USDA approved the same two crops. [11] [12]

Criticism

2,4-D was one of the main ingredients of Agent Orange, a defoliant used during the Vietnam War that was blamed for many health problems. [13] According to a Reuters article the main health problems arose from TCDD contamination created in the synthesis of the other Agent Orange component, 2,4,5-T [14]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has moved to rescind its approval due to conflicting claims from the manufacturer about synergistic effects from mixing the two herbicides. Dow had told the EPA that the combination of the two herbicides didn't enhance their toxicity to plants, but an earlier patent application from Dow claimed that it did. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbicide</span> Chemical used to kill unwanted plants

Herbicides, also commonly known as weed killers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds. Selective herbicides control specific weed species while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed, while non-selective herbicides can be used to clear waste ground, industrial and construction sites, railways and railway embankments as they kill all plant material with which they come into contact. Apart from selective/non-selective, other important distinctions include persistence, means of uptake, and mechanism of action. Historically, products such as common salt and other metal salts were used as herbicides, however, these have gradually fallen out of favor, and in some countries, a number of these are banned due to their persistence in soil, and toxicity and groundwater contamination concerns. Herbicides have also been used in warfare and conflict.

The Monsanto Company was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in the 1970s. Later, the company became a major producer of genetically engineered crops. In 2018, the company ranked 199th on the Fortune 500 of the largest United States corporations by revenue.

Roundup is the brand name of a systemic, broad-spectrum glyphosate-based herbicide originally produced by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired in 2018. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the United States. As of 2009, sales of Roundup herbicides still represented about 10 percent of Monsanto's revenue despite competition from Chinese producers of other glyphosate-based herbicides. The overall Roundup line of products, which includes genetically modified seeds, represented about half of Monsanto's yearly revenue. The product is marketed to consumers by Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified food</span> Foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA

Genetically modified foods, also known as genetically engineered foods, or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering techniques allow for the introduction of new traits as well as greater control over traits when compared to previous methods, such as selective breeding and mutation breeding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glyphosate</span> Broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate, which acts by inhibiting the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase. It is used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with crops. Its herbicidal effectiveness was discovered by Monsanto chemist John E. Franz in 1970. Monsanto brought it to market for agricultural use in 1974 under the trade name Roundup. Monsanto's last commercially relevant United States patent expired in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified crops</span> Plants used in agriculture

Genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, resistance to chemical treatments, or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels, and other industrially useful goods, as well as for bioremediation.

Dow AgroSciences LLC was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company specializing in not only agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, but also seeds and biotechnology solutions. The company was based in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States. On 31 January 2006, Dow AgroSciences announced that it had received regulatory approval for the world's first plant-cell-produced vaccine against Newcastle disease virus from USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics. Dow AgroSciences operates brand names such as Sentricon, Vikane, Mycogen®, SmartStax®, Enlist™, Pfister Seed®, PhytoGen®, Prairie Brand Seed®, Alforex Seeds®, Profume, Dairyland Seed®, and Brodbeck Seed®.

Since the advent of genetic engineering in the 1970s, concerns have been raised about the dangers of the technology. Laws, regulations, and treaties were created in the years following to contain genetically modified organisms and prevent their escape. Nevertheless, there are several examples of failure to keep GM crops separate from conventional ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dicamba</span> Chemical compound used as herbicide

Dicamba is a broad-spectrum herbicide first registered in 1967. Brand names for formulations of this herbicide include Dianat, Banvel, Diablo, Oracle and Vanquish. This chemical compound is a chlorinated derivative of o-anisic acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified plant</span> Plants with human-introduced genes from other organisms

Genetically modified plants have been engineered for scientific research, to create new colours in plants, deliver vaccines, and to create enhanced crops. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. Many plant cells are pluripotent, meaning that a single cell from a mature plant can be harvested and then under the right conditions form a new plant. This ability can be taken advantage of by genetic engineers; by selecting for cells that have been successfully transformed in an adult plant a new plant can then be grown that contains the transgene in every cell through a process known as tissue culture.

Roundup Ready is the Monsanto trademark for its patented line of genetically modified crop seeds that are resistant to its glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aminopyralid</span> Chemical compound

Aminopyralid is a selective herbicide used for control of broadleaf weeds, especially thistles and clovers. It is in the picolinic acid family of herbicides, which also includes clopyralid, picloram, triclopyr, and several less common herbicides. It was first registered for use in 2005, in the USA under the brand name "Milestone" and later under various names starting with "Grazon". In the UK it is sold under the brand names Banish, Forefront, Halcyon, Pharaoh, Pro-Banish, Runway, Synero, and Upfront.

Genetically modified wheat is corn that has been genetically engineered by the direct manipulation of its genome using biotechnology. As of 2020, no GM wheat is grown commercially, although many field tests have been conducted, with one wheat variety, Bioceres HB4 Wheat, obtaining regulatory approval from the Argentinean government.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) is a 501c3, U.S. non-profit advocacy organization, based in Washington, D.C. It maintains an office in San Francisco, California. The executive director is Andrew Kimbrell, an attorney. Its stated mission is to protect human health and the environment, focusing on food production technologies such as genetically modified plants and organisms (GMOs). It was founded in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid</span> Herbicide

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula C8H6Cl2O3 which is usually referred to by its ISO common name 2,4-D. It is a systemic herbicide which kills most broadleaf weeds by causing uncontrolled growth in them but most grasses such as cereals, lawn turf, and grassland are relatively unaffected.

A genetically modified sugar beet is a sugar beet that has been genetically engineered by the direct modification of its genome using biotechnology. Commercialized GM sugar beets make use of a glyphosate-resistance modification developed by Monsanto and KWS Saat. These glyphosate-resistant beets, also called 'Roundup Ready' sugar beets, were developed by 2000, but not commercialized until 2007. For international trade, sugar beets have a Maximum Residue Limit of glyphosate of 15 mg/Kg at harvest. As of 2016, GMO sugar beets are grown in the United States and Canada. In the United States, they play an important role in domestic sugar production. Studies have concluded the sugar from glyphosate-resistant sugar beets is molecularly identical to and so has the same nutritional value as sugar from conventional (non-GMO) sugar beets.

Glyphosate-based herbicides are usually made of a glyphosate salt that is combined with other ingredients that are needed to stabilize the herbicide formula and allow penetration into plants. The glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup was first developed by Monsanto in the 1970s. It is used most heavily on corn, soy, and cotton crops that have been genetically modified to be resistant to the herbicide. Some products include two active ingredients, such as Enlist Duo which includes 2,4-D as well as glyphosate. As of 2010, more than 750 glyphosate products were on the market. The names of inert ingredients used in glyphosate formulations are usually not listed on the product labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indaziflam</span> Preemergent herbicide discovered in 2009

Indaziflam is a preemergent herbicide especially for grass control in tree and bush crops.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Carey Gilliam (March 10, 2014). "As Dow seeks growth, new Enlist crop/chemicals seen as key". Reuters . Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  2. ↑ "USDA Releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Dow's Enlist". American Agriculturist. January 3, 2014. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Enlist Duo approved in six states, with restrictions". Delta Farm Press. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  4. ↑ EPA (October 2014). "Registration of Enlist Duo". EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  5. ↑ "EPA to Consider Comments on Registration of Enlist Duo Herbicide". Farm Futures. May 1, 2014. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  6. ↑ von Stackelberg K. A Systematic Review of Carcinogenic Outcomes and Potential Mechanisms from Exposure to 2,4-D and MCPA in the Environment. J Toxicol. 2013;2013:371610. PMID   23533401 PMC 3600329
  7. ↑ Andrew Pollack for the New York Times. April 9, 2012 E.P.A. Denies an Environmental Group’s Request to Ban a Widely Used Weed Killer
  8. ↑ Josh Flint for Prairie Farmer. August 31, 2011 Dow AgroSciences Names Its Newest Herbicide Offering Enlist Duo Archived 2014-05-04 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ China Research & Intelligence, June 5, 2013. Research Report on Global and China Glyphosate Industry, 2013-2017 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  10. 1 2 Donna Fleury (April 2014). "Enlist weed control system in Canada. A new tool for managing hard to control and resistant weeds". AG Annex. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  11. ↑ Brandon Keim (25 September 2014). "New Generation of GM Crops Puts Agriculture in a 'Crisis Situation'". Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  12. ↑ ISAAA GM Approval Database GM Approval Database Genes List, Gene: aad1. International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), n.d. accessed February 27, 2015
  13. ↑ "2,4-D General Fact Sheet". National Pesticide Information Center. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  14. ↑ "Dow's Controversial New GMO Corn Delayed Amid Protests". Reuters. 2013.
  15. ↑ Charles, Dan (November 25, 2015). "Busted: EPA discovers DOW weedkiller claim; wants it off the market". National Public Radio . Retrieved November 25, 2015.
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