Dicamba Applications Resume, Questions Linger
The past seven days have been full of more questions than certainty around the dicamba products of Xtendimax, Engenia and FeXapan. Following the 9th circuit court decision, the agricultural industry was waiting for EPA to provide clarification on what that court’s ruling meant for the industry’s applications in 2020. In the early evening of June 8, EPA did provide a statement allowing for applications through July 31, but the Agricultural Retailers Association and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives are calling for more details.
ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock and NCFC CEO Chuck Conner sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on June 9 asking for clarification and emphasizing that days matter as the application window is quickly closing.
“While the Agency’s cancellation order provided some guidance to end-users as well as applicators, it failed to address several scenarios where product is in the pipeline at various points in the supply chain,” the groups stated in the letter. “These questions need quick answers during this critical time of the growing season as weeds will not wait for protracted legal analysis.”
ARA and NCFC cite examples from the supply chain that aren’t addressed in the EPA’s statement. For example, between the 9th circuit ruling on June 3, and the EPA guidance on June 8, many states had resumed dicamba sales and applications. According to ARA and NCFC, it’s unclear if those product purchases are permitted.
One state that was waiting for EPA’s guidance before resuming sales and applications was Illinois. And on June 9, the Illinois Department of Agriculture permitted use to resume. The state has extended its cutoff date for applications of June 25 (it was previously June 20), however other details of its label remain including that forecasted temperatures can’t be above 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Click here for those details from the Illinois label.
The Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association released a statement saying decisions about dicamba application this year matter for the future availability of products used in agricultural applications. The IFCA emphasized product stewardship and stated in a newsletter: “Much is at stake beyond dicamba use. The courts are now telling us how to farm, and all pesticide uses are being scrutinized more than ever. There are also millions of acres of soybean and other plants in Illinois that are sensitive to dicamba. We must successfully coexist with other growers and property owners and bring down the number of pesticide misuse complaints.”
