Dicamba Gets an EPA Reprieve!
As of yesterday, EPA announced that 2 dicamba products (XtendiMax and Engenia) had each received new 5 year registrations for use on soybean and cotton. A third product, Tavium had its registration extended. All three dicamba products now have a federal label that will expire in 2025.
That's good news for those of you dealing with resistant weeds. We need all the tools we can get! Still, we must protect these technologies as 2025 and re-registration will be here before you know it. However, following the labels on these products has become more difficult for applicators. With that said, it will be the only way we can ensure the future use of these products.
As would be expected, there are some changes to the federal labels for these products. The primary changes for us are as follows:
Key label changes to mitigate off-target movement of dicamba include the following:
Requirement of a pH buffering agent or Volatility Reduction Agent (VRA) with all over-the-top applications of dicamba products to dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybean.
The downwind buffer has been increased to 240 feet; the downwind buffer to threatened or endangered species areas has increased to 310 feet.
No over-the-top applications of dicamba after June 30 for soybean or July 30 for cotton.
Simplified label and use directions for applicators to more easily determine when and how to properly apply dicamba.
