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U.S. corn growers who choose Harness herbicide and Degree herbicide to control grasses and  broadleaf weeds in their corn will soon have more flexibility in planting rotational crops and will also be able to use these products in sweet corn. Sugar beets, sunflowers, potatoes and a variety of grains, forage crops, dry beans and peas will soon be added to the product labels  Sweet corn will also be added to labels of Harness Xtra and Harness Xtra 5.6L, which contain atrazine, but the new rotational approvals will not apply to those products.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the changes after reviewing additional data for acetochlor, the active ingredient in Harness and Degree brands.  As part of that review, Harness and Degree are no longer classified as restricted use pesticides, which provides the opportunity for additional crop uses in the future.

The expanded list of rotational crops will give farmers in diverse corn growing regions a number of new options for rotational planting. Up until now, corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, wheat and tobacco have been the only approved rotational crops following the use of Harness or Degree in corn. The new approvals will include these additional crops: 

• Sugar beets, sunflowers, potatoes, barley, rye, oats, wild rice the next season;
• Non-grass animal feeds such as  alfalfa, clover, lespedeza, lupins, sanfoil, trefoil and vetches nine months following application;
• Dried shelled bean group including grain lupin, sweet lupin and white lupin, field bean, kidney bean, lima bean (dry), navy bean, pinto bean, tepary bean, adzuki bean, blackeyed pea, catjang, cowpea, Crowder pea, moth bean, mung bean, rice bean, southern pea and urd bean); chickpea, guar, lablab bean, lentil, field pea and pigeon pea the next season

Monsanto is in the process of securing EPA and state approval of labels incorporating the new uses for acetochlor.  Until EPA and state approvals have been received and conveyed to end users; do not use or recommend the use of acetochlor on crops other than those specifically indicated on the label. Please check the specific product for information, labels and uses.

Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.

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