Retailers are allowed to sell and farmers are allowed to use existing stocks of the weedkiller dicamba on this year’s soybean and cotton crops no later than July 30, said the EPA on Wednesday. A federal judge in Arizona overturned the EPA’s approval of three dicamba-containing herbicides last week, potentially disrupting the spring planting season.
With the EPA order, XtendiMax, Engenia, and Tavium herbicides already in the sale and distribution channel can be used by farmers this season. The decision affects more than 50 million acres of cotton and soybeans, said Josh Gackle, president of the American Soybean Association. “We are very appreciative of EPA’s decision to let us get through the 2024 growing season by using any product already in the delivery pipeline.”
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives thanked the EPA for “providing some level of clarity for cotton and soybean producers across the country.” The National Cotton Council said, “We commend them for recognizing that growers had already committed to the seeds and crop protection products for the coming year, and no viable alternatives would have been available to meet the needs of U.S. producers.”
Growers will be expected to follow the same guidelines for applying the herbicides that existed before the court ruling, said the EPA. Its order included a state-by-state calendar of cutoff dates for the sale and use of dicamba herbicides. Sales are to end by June 30 and the final application date is July 30.
Dicamba is used in conjunction with soybean and cotton varieties that have been genetically modified to withstand the chemical.
To read the EPA order, click here.