Dicamba formulations have been considered controversial for several years as various crops have suffered drift and volatility resulting from the herbicide.
In October 2020, the Trump Administration issued their approval for dicamba-related product use over the course of the next five years.
After previous administrations environmental protection agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler shared farmers have the certainty of dicamba use in the 2021 growing season, he said it was far from a sporadic decision.
“After reviewing substantial amounts of new information, conducting scientific assessments based on the best available science, and carefully considering input from stakeholders we have reached a resolution that is good for our farmers and our environment,” said Wheeler.
Current environmental protection agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan explains the agency continues to research the effects of dicamba and cautions farmers as they purchase the chemical for the coming growing season.
“The EPA is extremely concerned about these reports and is taking steps to better understand the nature and severity of these incidents in order to assess the sufficiency in the 2020 decision,” says Regan.
While the EPA advances their investigation into dicamba products, individual state departments of agriculture count their own reports.
Illinois Department of Agriculture staff (IDA), for example, have received 348 pesticide misuse complaints in 2021, with 319 agriculture-related complaints. Of the 319, 178 of the complaints are in relation to dicamba.
As growers anxiously await the research verdict, National Association of State Departments (NASDA) President Ryan Quarles shared his expectations as the EPA continues to evaluate dicamba.
“Whether it is dicamba-related products or not, we’ve got to make sure crop technology is adopted through proper regulatory frameworks and not the court system.”
The EPA is expected to issue a final report for the dicamba products registered for use on soybeans by the end of October 2021.
