The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to re-register Dicamba herbicide for over-the-top application on cotton and soybeans. Successful Farming says there will be restrictions intended to limit possible ecological harm. Dicamba has been blamed for significant off-target damage to crops and other vegetation. Federal courts have vacated the registration twice, in 2020 and 2024.
The decision in February 2024 prevented the product from being used during the past two growing seasons for soybeans and cotton. The agency also said it plans to impose new mitigation requirements for the herbicide to address ecological impacts. Among the proposed restrictions is a single-use maximum application rate of 0.5 acid equivalent Dicamba per acre. Not everyone was happy with the announcement. The Center for Biological Diversity, which has challenged past registrations, immediately criticized the agency’s decision to move forward with the registration. Bayer, which makes Xtendimax, one of three Dicamba products, applauded the EPA’s announcement.
SOURCE: NAFB News Service
