Experiencing Enlist

Ben Hortenstine

Ben Hortenstine farms with his dad, two uncles and brother. He grew up around farming. It’s just something he enjoys because there is always something different to do. On their farm, they grow corn, soybeans and wheat. He knows it’s important to stay on the cutting edge with new technology, and that’s why they use the Enlist™ weed control system on their farm. This year, they’re raising Enlist corn commercially and Enlist soybeans for production.

LOCATION

Illinois

ENLIST CROP

Soybeans
Corn

PROBLEM WEEDS

Waterhemp

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Minimum tillage
Nonirrigated

Illinois Farmer Sees Continued Success with Enlist Duo^® Herbicide

For Ben Hortenstine, the 2018 growing season is coming to a very nice close. Both his corn and soybean yield came in at record levels for the farm. His soybean success includes several hundred acres of Enlist E3^™ soybeans.

“I was very satisfied with the yield of the Enlist E3 soybeans,” Hortenstine says.

This is the third year the Hortenstines have grown Enlist soybeans on their farm. Ben farms with his brother, Nathan, his father and his uncles. They’ve been using Enlist Duo^® herbicide postemergence on Enlist soybeans.

“Enlist worked well again,” Hortenstine says. “I like Enlist Duo because I don’t have to worry about tank mixing. It’s convenient. The 2,4-D choline takes care of the broadleaf weeds, and the glyphosate takes care of grasses.”

The residual herbicides they applied this spring worked well. Spraying at planting, they were able to keep weeds controlled in their Enlist E3^™ soybeans until time to apply Enlist Duo. “Last year, it turned dry after we applied residuals, and they didn’t work too well. I used glufosinate early postemergence to keep the weeds down until I applied Enlist Duo.”

Hortenstine says it’s important to have a clean field at harvest.

“To get maximum yield, you have to start clean and stay clean,” he says. “Cleaner fields mean less competition; less competition means more yield.”

He also says fewer weeds through the combine means fewer weed seeds in the field in coming years.

The excellent weed control and ability to keep the herbicide on target are two key benefits Hortenstine sees with the Enlist weed control system.

“Everything stayed on target,” he says. “Enlist Duo didn’t move. I sprayed it next to one of our fields with conventional soybeans, and there was no impact. Enlist Duo is super low volatility. It’s been working for us.”

Illinois Farmer Finds Proof of Enlist™ System in His Own Fields

Seeing is believing. That means concrete evidence is more convincing than words alone. For Illinois farmer Ben Hortenstine, experiencing the Enlist^™ weed control system on his farm has made him a believer.

Hortenstine grows corn and soybeans in Ramsey, Illinois, in partnership with his father, two uncles and a brother. They grew Enlist soybeans for seed production last year. He reports his Enlist soybeans were his best-yielding beans.

“At harvest, the fields were clean,” he says. “A clean field is just an easier field to combine. Our Enlist fields were clean as a pin.”

Hortenstine cites three key benefits he saw with the Enlist soybeans: yield, weed control and ease of use.

“We’re looking for herbicide traits that are easy to use, that do the job and do it efficiently and cost-effectively,” he says. “The Enlist system is very easy to use and very cost-effective. Enlist Duo herbicide does a very good job of controlling the weeds that we need to control. We had very, very good control. It was excellent.”

Hortenstine also finds Enlist Duo^® herbicide provides some peace of mind concerning drift issues.

“It’s very low volatility and next to zero drift,” he says. “The product stays where it’s applied. I’m very confident when we’re applying Enlist Duo that it’s going to stay where we spray it. We really have no worries about it volatilizing and moving off target.”

All these traits combined makes the Enlist weed control system a great fit on the Hortenstine farm.

“The Enlist weed control system is a good program, a good system,” he says. “You have the yield, you have the weed control and you have the extra support that you need for any questions that you may have about spraying and buffers and so on.”

Seeing is believing, especially when you see the results in your own fields. Hortenstine is planting Enlist^™ soybeans for seed production again this year, and he’s adding Enlist corn now that it’s commercially available. He anticipates seeing more concrete proof of the value of the Enlist weed control system.