In recent years, triple-stacked herbicide-resistant varieties, including Enlist E3^® and XtendFlex^®, have become the new standard in the soybean market. And for good reason — growers looking for greater in-season herbicide flexibility have been seeing success with these options in the battle against herbicide-resistant weeds.

Both trait platforms have their advantages, but one of the most important factors in your choice may be your herbicide program. Use this quick-hit guide and these spray considerations to finalize soybean seed decisions and help your selected trait technology reach its full potential.

Enlist E3 Soybeans

Resistance: 
•    2,4-D choline
•    Glyphosate
•    Glufosinate

Key Benefits:
•    Label doesn’t require drift-reduction agents (DRAs) or volatility-reduction agents (VRAs).
•    May be an easier platform to manage.
•    Flexibility with spray tip selection.

XtendFlex Soybeans

Resistance: 
•    Dicamba
•    Glyphosate
•    Glufosinate

Key Benefits: 
•    Built on the Roundup Ready® 2 Xtend trait platform, resulting in a deeper archive of performance data.
•    May be more seed options available than with the Enlist system.
•    Tip selection is less restrictive than previous years under new dicamba regulations. 

Considerations:
•    Label requires a VRA in the tank mix when spraying dicamba in season.
•    DRA addition is also required with a focus on oil-emulsion. 

Best Spray Practices Make the Difference

There are pros and cons to each system, so you should choose your trait platform based on the genetics you need to be successful, as well as the weeds you’re trying to control. Your local agronomist is a great resource to help you understand which system is a good match for your agronomic needs and production preferences.
 
Regardless of the trait system you choose, you’ll still need a season-long strategy to effectively manage weeds. This includes layering preemergence residual herbicides with multiple modes of action to start clean and tailoring the herbicide program based on the weeds that are most troublesome in your fields.
 
Adjuvants play an essential role in getting the most effective weed control with both systems. For dicamba applications on XtendFlex soybeans, DRAs and VRAs are required by label. InterLock^® adjuvant, an industry-leading drift and deposition adjuvant, can help control fine particle drift that other DRAs alone cannot. 

By including InterLock adjuvant in the tank along with a water conditioner, you can reduce driftable fines by 60%.¹
 
Although additional DRAs aren’t required with herbicides used in the Enlist system, research shows they can still help improve herbicide performance — in fact, AMS increases the effectiveness of Liberty^® Ultra herbicide. But using hard water with Enlist One^® herbicide can increase antagonism in the tank.¹ That’s why I recommend adding a water conditioner that contains AMS, such as Class Act^® NG^® adjuvant, when spraying Enlist One. 

When added to the herbicide tank mix, Class Act NG adjuvant increased active ingredient uptake by 1.4x for Enlist One herbicide, 1.8x with Liberty herbicide and 2.1x with glyphosate.²

Additionally, a drift-reduction adjuvant can help you get more out of Enlist One herbicide. Even though Enlist One herbicide is formulated with drift-reducing technology, adding InterLock adjuvant to the tank can help optimize droplet size and increase deposition into the crop’s canopy for more effective weed control.

Which Is Better: Enlist or XtendFlex Soybeans?

While there’s no clear performance winner when putting Enlist and XtendFlex technologies head-to-head, we do know that spray practices and overall weed management strategies have a big effect on the success growers will see with them. To learn more about which soybean trait options are the best fit for your acres, contact your CROPLAN^® local retail seed expert.

¹1Based on research conducted at the WinField United Innovation Center.
²2024 WinField United Innovation Center Controlled Environments study comparing herbicide leaf uptake comparing using Class Act NG adjuvant v. dry AMS.

All photos are either the property of WinField United or used with permission. 

© 2026 WinField United. Important: Before use always read and follow label instructions. Crop performance is dependent on several factors many of which are beyond the control of WinField United, including without limitation, soil type, pest pressures, agronomic practices and weather conditions. Growers are encouraged to consider data from multiple locations, over multiple years and to be mindful of how such agronomic conditions could impact results. Class Act, CROPLAN, InterLock, NG and WinField are trademarks of WinField United. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.