The Enlist Weed Control System is an

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

system that includes seeds for

genetically modified crops Genetically modified crops (GM 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 ...

that are resistant to Enlist (a broadleaf herbicide with two active agents, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and

glyphosate Glyphosate (IUPAC name: ''N''-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) 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-enolpyruvylshik ...

) and the Enlist herbicide; spraying the herbicide will kill weeds but not the resulting crop. The system was developed by

Dow AgroSciences 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, ...

, part of

Dow Chemical Company The Dow Chemical Company, officially Dow Inc., is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. The company is among the three largest chemical producers in the world. Dow manufactures plastic ...

. 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 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

. In 2013, the system was approved by Canada for the same uses. The Enlist approach was developed to replace the "Roundup-Ready" system that was introduced in 1996 by

Monsanto 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 i ...

and which has become less useful with the rise of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

''Enlist Duo''

''Enlist Duo'' is an herbicide that contains the choline form of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and

plus an unknown number of unlisted ingredients. Dow added chemicals to the mixture in what it termed "Colex-D technology". 2,4-D is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. 2,4-D is volatile and by EPA assessment is a hazardous air pollutant that is difficult to contain. According to Dow, the Colex-D formulation reduces drift and damage from evaporation. As of 2013 glyphosate was the world's largest-selling herbicide, with sales driven by glyphosate-resistant

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

Enlist crops

As of April 2014 maize and soybeans resistant to 2,4-D and glyphosate had been approved in Canada, and in September 2014 the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

approved the same two crops.ISAAA GM Approval Databas
GM Approval Database Genes List, Gene: aad1
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), n.d. accessed February 27, 2015

Criticism

2,4-D was one of the main ingredients of

Agent Orange Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the United States Armed Forces, U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam ...

, a defoliant used during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

that was blamed for many health problems. 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 The

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

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 A patent application is a request pending at a patent office for the grant of a patent for an invention described in the patent specification and a set of one or more claims stated in a formal document, including necessary official forms and rel ...

from Dow claimed that it did.

References

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External links

Enlist Weed Control System

Herbicides Genetic engineering Genetically modified organisms in agriculture Dow Chemical Company