By No-Till Farmer Editors

Farmers in Missouri can again purchase and use new dicamba formulations for over-the-top use in soybeans and cotton — with a few additional requirements. And Tennessee also passed use restrictions Thursday, while the ban on dicamba sales in Arkansas appears to remain for now. 

Please check back reguarly at No-TillFarmer.com as we will post any updates to this issue as we become aware of them. 

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) has approved of Special Local Need label for each herbicide , Engenia, FeXapan and Xtendimax. MDA says the labels provide special provisions and safeguards including:

  • Wind Speed – do not apply at wind speeds greater than 10 mph. Applicators must measure and record wind speed and wind direction for each field prior to application.
     
  • Application Timing – do not apply before 9:00 a.m. and do not apply after 3:00 p.m.
     
  • Certified Applicator – All applications of Engenia, FeXapan and Xtendimax must be made by a properly licensed Missouri certified private applicator or certified commercial applicator, certified noncommercial applicator or certified public operator.
     
  • Dicamba Notice of Application Form – Certified applicators must complete an online web-based form “Dicamba Notice of Application” prior to the actual application. The Dicamba Notice of Application Form is posted on the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s website at: www.Agriculture.Mo.Gov/dicamba/notice/.
     
  • Recordkeeping Requirements – Certified private applicators, certified noncommercial applicators and certified public operators must keep and maintain a record of use for each application of Engenia, FeXapan and Xtendimax herbicide.

Tennessee on Thursday also imposed restrictions on the use of dicamba. In accordance with new rules filed with the Secretary of State:

  • Anyone applying dicamba products must be certified as a private applicator or licensed as a pest control operator in the category of Agricultural Pest Control (AGE), and is required to keep records for such applications.
     
  • The use of older formulations of dicamba products for the remainder of this agricultural growing season is prohibited.
     
  • To minimize the potential for off-target movement of the product due to temperature inversion, dicamba may only be applied from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the respective time zone for the location of application.
     
  • Applying dicamba over the top of cotton after first bloom is prohibited.

On July 7, the Arkansas Agriculture Department halted the sale of dicamba for agricultural use in that state for 120 days, effective on July 11.

The Arkansas Plant Board and Governor Asa Hutchinson recommended the ban after a spike in complaints that dicamba is drifting into neighboring fields and damaging crops.