In line with suggestions from a task force of soybean growers, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture set a June 20 cut-off date for spraying the weedkiller dicamba on GE soybeans. The agency also barred application of the herbicide when temperatures top 85 degrees, said the Associated Press. The rules are intended to reduce the risk of damage to crops in neighboring fields and are in addition to EPA guidelines on use of the chemical.
“We will be closely monitoring the herbicide’s performance with these restrictions in 2018,” said Dave Frederickson, the agriculture commissioner, in a statement. Soybean growers filed 253 complaints this year alleging damage from dicamba. Monsanto, DuPont, and BASF sell low-volatility formulations of dicamba to work in partnership with genetically modified cotton and soybeans as a tool against invasive weeds that have developed tolerance for other herbicides.
The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, which organized the task force to study dicamba, welcomed the new state rules as a way to help farmers use the herbicide in a safe and environmentally responsible manner, said the AP. A Monsanto official said the Minnesota rules were unduly restrictive. The company has said it expects to double its sales of dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybeans seeds in 2018.
Arkansas, Missouri, and North Dakota also have set cut-off dates for the use of dicamba on 2018 crops.