Title

Herbicide Resistant Traits in Minnesota and North Dakota

(PS1945, Revised February 2024)
Summary

This reference guide is designed to help clarify which herbicide products can be applied to various trait packages. It will also help with understanding which herbicides can be applied safely and legally.

Lead Author
Lead Author:
Tom Peters, Associate Professor/ Extension Sugarbeet Agronomist, NDSU Plant Sciences Department
Other Authors

Joe Ikley, Assistant Professor/ Extension Weed Specialist, NDSU Plant Sciences Department
Debalin Sarangi Assistant Professor/ Extension Weed Specialist, University of Minnesota
Dave Nicolai, Extension Educator - Crops, University of Minnesota Extension

Availability
Availability:
Web only
Publication Sections

Herbicide-resistance traits have created additional weed control options in alfalfa, canola, corn, soybeans, sugarbeets, sunflowers and wheat. However, traits may create confusion surrounding which herbicides can be applied safely and legally to the various crop trait packages. Misapplication due to confusion can be very costly and embarrassing for the producer and collaborating partners.

Weed management to prevent herbicide-resistant weeds requires a well-developed strategy. A durable weed management strategy considers the crops planned for the field and chemical, cultural and mechanical control strategies to achieve excellent control of the primary weeds in the field. Your weed management strategy should consider herbicide applied in sequence and mixtures, along with nonchemical control options, to preserve the value of herbicides and herbicide-resistant traits on your farm.

Reading and following label guidelines when applying herbicides to any crop is important. The label of some glyphosate products indicates they can be applied to Roundup Ready® and glyphosate-tolerant crops. Most glyphosate labels state the products are for use in Roundup Ready® crops or in crops that have the Roundup Ready® gene. Other glyphosate labels have language stating the glyphosate product can be applied to glyphosate-tolerant crops.

This reference guide is designed to help clarify which herbicide products can be applied to various trait packages. You always should verify seed tags and herbicide labels to ensure misapplication does not occur.

Table 1. Alfalfa herbicide-resistant traits and herbicides that can be used in combination with resistant traits. A checkmark indicates that alfalfa herbicide trait packages have resistance to various herbicide products (a).
Alfalfa Herbicide TraitGlyphosateGlufosinateGrowth Regulators
Conventional   
Roundup Ready Alfalfab  

aAlways consult herbicide labels for application requirements.
bAlways consult herbicide label to determine if glyphosate formulation is approved for RR alfalfa.

Table 2. Canola herbicide-resistant traits and herbicides that can be used in combination with resistant traits. A checkmark indicates that canola herbicide trait packages have resistance to various herbicide products (a).
Canola Herbicide TraitGlyphosateGlufosinateALS Inhibitors
Conventional   
Roundup Ready  
Roundup Ready TruFlex  
LibertyLink  
TruFlex LibertyLink 
Clearfield Canolab  
SU Canolac  

aAlways consult herbicide labels for application requirements.
bApply Beyond/Beyond Xtra (imazamox) to Clearfield canola varieties.
cApply Draft (thifensulfuron and triberuron) to SU Canola varieties

Table 3. Corn herbicide-resistant traits and herbicides that can be used in combination with resistant traits (a). A checkmark indicates that corn herbicide trait packages have resistance to various herbicide products (b).
Corn Herbicide TraitGlyphosateGlufosinate2,4-D CholinecFOP ACCase Inhibitorsd
Conventional    
Glyphosate Tolerant (GT)   
LibertyLink (LL)   
GT LL  
Roundup Ready 2 Yield (RR2Y)   
RR2Y LLe  
Enlist 

aTrait names often refer to insect resistance traits (Agrisure, Optimum, Yieldgard, etc.). Be sure to consult seed tags and product information to ensure herbicide trait packages.
bAlways consult herbicide labels for application requirements.
c2,4-D is labeled for corn. Only approved 2,4-D choline formulations are permitted for applications to Enlist corn (Enlist Duo, Enlist One) at higher rates or later stages of corn growth.
dAssure II only and not other FOP or ACCase inhibitors.
eAlways consult herbicide label to determine if glyphosate formulation is approved for RR corn.

Table 4. Soybean herbicide-resistance traits and herbicides that can be used in combination with resistant traits. A checkmark indicates that soybean herbicide trait packages have resistance to various herbicide products (a).
Soybean Herbicide TraitGlyphosateGlufosinate2,4-D CholinebDicambacHPPD Inhibitorsd
Conventional     
Glyphosate Tolerant (GT)    
Roundup Readye    
Roundup Ready 2 Yielde    
Roundup Ready 2 Yield Xtende   
Roundup Ready 2 Yield Xtendflexf  
LibertyLink (LL)    
LLGT27d  
Enlist   
Enlist E3  
GT27   

aAlways consult herbicide labels for application requirements.
bOnly approved 2,4-D choline formulations (Enlist Duo, Enlist One) are permitted for over-the top applications to Enlist and Enlist E3 soybeans.
cOnly approved dicamba formulations (Engenia, FeXapan, Tavium, XtendiMax) are permitted for over-the-top application to Xtend and XtendFlex soybeans.
dMotif is UPL’s mesotrione that is labeled for mesotrione-tolerant soybeans. The label is pretty vague and generic, but pretty sure it is labeled for all GT27 soybeans. Other mesotrione’s might have this new label too.
eAlways consult herbicide label to determine if glyphosate formulation is approved for RR soybeans.
fNot approved for commercial production in the U.S. as of January 2021.

Table 5. Sugarbeet herbicide-resistant traits and herbicides that can be used in combination with resistant traits. A checkmark indicates that sugarbeet herbicide trait packages have resistance to various herbicide products (a).
Sugarbeet Herbicide TraitGlyphosateGlufosinateGrowth Regulators
Conventional   
Roundup Readyb  

aAlways consult herbicide labels for application requirements.
bAlways consult herbicide label to determine if glyphosate formulation is approved for RR sugarbeets.

Table 6. Sunflower herbicide-resistant traits and herbicides that can be used in combination with resistant traits. A checkmark indicates that sunflower herbicide trait packages have resistance to various herbicide products (a).
Sunflower Herbicide TraitGlyphosateGlufosinateALS Inhibitors
Conventional   
Clearfield Sunflowerb  
Clearfield Plus Sunflowerb  
Express Sun Sunflowerc  

aAlways consult herbicide labels for application requirements.
bApply Beyond/Beyond Xtra (imazamox) to Clearfield wheat varieties.
cApply Express SG (tribenuron) to Express Sun sunflower varieties.

Table 7. Wheat herbicide-resistant traits and herbicides that can be used in combination with resistant traits. A checkmark indicates that wheat herbicide trait packages have resistance to various herbicide products (a).
Wheat Herbicide TraitGlyphosateGlufosinateALS Inhibitors


FOP
ACCase Inhibitorsc

Conventional    
Clearfield Wheatb   
Clearfield Plus Wheatb   
CoAXium Wheat   

aAlways consult herbicide labels for application requirements.
bApply Beyond/Beyond Xtra (imazamox) to Clearfield wheat varieties.

*This publication is adapted from Butts et al. 2019. Herbicide resistance traits: quick reference guide. MP544. Available at www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/MP544.pdf