The Environmental Protection Agency and the states are considering changes in the registration of dicamba after additional off-target spray drift problems in 2021. Minnesota announced Thursday they are working with product manufacturers and EPA to implement state-specific restrictions for the 2022 growing season. SDSU Extension Weed Science Coordinator Paul Johnson says he doubts South Dakota will follow suit.
He says EPA may use the alleged damage in the 2021 season as justification for making some changes to the dicamba product label, but he can’t speculate on what those changes would be or if EPA will make that decision prior to the start of the 2022 planting season.
Johnson isn’t sure if EPA would go to the extreme and ban the use of dicamba products but says if it happed it would be a disaster.
Due to a high number of alleged drift complaints in the 2021 growing season, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture plans to register four products for use with additional restrictions. No applications can be made if the air temperature is over 85-degrees or south of Interstate 94 after June 12. North of I-94 use i prohibited after June 30.
