Farmers in Iowa and Minnesota will have less time to spray Xtendimax, Tavium and Engenia this growing season under label amendments approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The cutoff date for the dicamba herbicides in Iowa has been moved to June 20 from the federal cutoff date of June 30. In Minnesota, the products cannot be used on dicamba-tolerant crops south of Interstate 94 after June 12 (the cut-off date for land north of Interstate 94 remains June 30), or “when the air temperature is over 85 degrees at the time of application or if the forecasted high temperature of the nearest available location exceeds 85 degrees,” EPA said.
The amendments - which EPA said were requested by pesticide registrants Bayer, Syngenta and BASF in consultation with the states - “are intended to reduce risks from the use of over-the-top dicamba,” which has been blamed for extensive off-target damage to non-dicamba-tolerant soybeans and other crops and vegetation.
The new restrictions “are intended to reduce the likelihood of volatility and offsite movement of over-the-top dicamba by avoiding application on days with high temperatures,” EPA said. “Among other requirements, the product registrants must add the amended labeling to their training and educational materials and disseminate this information to pesticide authorities and agricultural extension services to assist users in their local area.”
Minnesota had imposed a June 20 cutoff from 2018 through 2020, but last year EPA said states could not use what’s known as Section 24(c) in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to restrict pesticide use.
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