Dicamba Update
Last week the IL Dept of Ag gave an update on the dicamba misuse complaints in 2020. Here are the highlights:
- IDA has received a total of 334 pesticide misuse complaints. 305 of those complaints are agriculture-related. 149 of the 305 ag related complaints were attributed to dicamba.
- To IDA's knowledge there were no complaints filed that were attributed to over the top use of 2,4-D on Enlist soybeans.
- The total number of ag-related complaints (305) is down significantly from 2019, however it is still nearly 3 times higher than the average number of complaints made from the years 1989-2016, when total ag related pesticide misuse complaints were less than 100 statewide.
IDA provide charts and graphs illustrating the complaint numbers and trendlines, and also the counties where complaints were located. To see the charts click here. Most of the dicamba related complaints this year came in the 3rd week of June.
What is the status of dicamba re-registration? USEPA is expected to issue a final decision, and labels, for the dicamba products registered for use on soybean by the end of October 2020. The registrants of the products are meeting with USEPA throughout this process. We do not know what the outcome will be in terms of label changes or over the top use. Everyone is also waiting to find out if the XtendFlex seed trait will be approved. Ag retailers and farmers who are trying to plan for the 2021 crop anxiously await news from the federal government on both of these important decisions. We feel your pain and understand your anxiety and wish we had more news to share, but that is all we know at this point.