herbicide
Report: Monsanto orchestrated outcry against glyphosate being named probable carcinogen
Monsanto, the world's largest seed and ag-chemical company, planned for months ahead of time to generate a storm of protest and disagreement over the 2015 finding by the WHO cancer agency that the weedkiller glyphosate was "probably carcinogenic to humans," says EcoWatch. "The timing was critical because in 2015 both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Commission were evaluating re-authorizations of Monsanto's weed killer."
Report: EPA considering ban on dicamba spraying in 2018
In the wake of this summer’s widespread damage to soybeans and other crops caused by the unintended drift from applications of the weedkiller dicamba, Reuters reports that EPA regulators told state officials that they are considering a ban on use of the herbicide after a cutoff date early next year. The idea would be to limit spraying to early spring, before soybeans emerge from the ground.
Dicamba is ‘tremendous success,’ says Monsanto; EPA mulls rule change
Monsanto chief technology officer Robb Fraley says there will be enough dicamba-tolerant seed available to account for half of U.S. soybean plantings next year. At the same time that EPA reportedly is considering new guidelines on use of the weedkiller, Fraley described dicamba as a "tremendous success" for "the overwhelming majority of farmers using" the low-volatility formulation of the herbicide.
Weed expert says he cannot support use of dicamba in 2018 in Arkansas
University of Arkansas weed scientist Jason Norsworthy described the weedkiller dicamba as "a product that is broken," and told a state task force that he could not recommend its use in the state in 2018, said the Arkansas Democrat newspaper. Arkansas leads the nation in reports of damage to crops when dicamba is sprayed on nearby fields.
Monsanto agents condoned improper use of dicamba, says lawsuit
A class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in St. Louis accuses sales representatives of Monsanto, the world's largest seed and ag-chemical company, "of secretly giving farmers assurances that using unauthorized or 'off-label' spray varieties would be all right," reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "That’s one of many allegations in the suit to place blame from soaring complaints of dicamba damage on companies that produce the weedkiller and accompanying seed varieties."
Farm Belt question: Are dicamba-tolerant seeds the only way to avoid crop damage?
Missouri has tightened its rules for dicamba, permitting use of the herbicide only during the day and if winds are mild, as agriculture officials in the mid-South try to contain crop damage from the weedkiller sprayed on cotton and soybeans. Widespread reports of damage have left some growers feeling forced into buying dicamba-tolerant GE seed.
Missouri ag director says dicamba ban could end this week
Four days ago, the Missouri Agriculture Department announced a statewide ban on the weedkiller dicamba because of 130 complaints of damage when the herbicide drifted into neighboring fields. Agriculture Director Chris Chinn told Agritalk that it might be possible to rewrite regulations on use of the chemical and allow farmers to resume use of it by the end of this week.
Fearing crop damage, Arkansas and Missouri temporarily ban dicamba
Responding to more than 700 complaints of crop damage due to pesticide drift, Missouri and Arkansas banned temporarily the use of the weedkiller dicamba, a stunning setback for an herbicide promoted as the answer to fast-growing invasive weeds that are resistant to other chemical controls. Seed and ag-chemical giant Monsanto said the Arkansas ban was premature and told growers, "[T]o ensure your continued access to dicamba, make sure your elected officials and relevant agencies" hear dicamba success stories.
FDA resumes testing for glyphosate residue in food
Months after suspending work, the Food and Drug Administration "has resumed its first-ever endeavor to evaluate how much of a controversial chemical is making its way into the U.S. food supply," says a blog post by Carey Gillam of U.S. Right to Know. The FDA began the "special assignment" last year but stopped the work because of a disagreement over a standard methodology for the agency's laboratories to use.
Glyphosate case reveals Monsanto communications with EPA
A key EPA official who played a role in deciding the government’s cancer designation on Roundup, Monsanto’s weedkiller, was routinely communicating with company officials, according to federal court documents unsealed Tuesday. The official reportedly told the company that he could kill another agency’s investigation into glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.
Weedkiller glyphosate faces hundreds of legal challenges
The most widely used herbicide in the world, glyphosate, faces hundreds of legal challenges from cancer victims, primarlly agricultural and landscape workers, who blame the chemical for their illnesses, says the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Attorney Tim Litzenburg says the total could run into the thousands in the next two months because the statute of limitations is running out in many states.
California set to become first state to put cancer warning on Roundup
A California court is expected to announce this week a final ruling on whether Roundup, the world’s most popular weed-killer, manufactured by Monsanto, will bear a label to warn state citizens that it poses a cancer threat, attorneys involved involved in the case told FERN Ag Insider.
Judge says California can put a cancer warning on Roundup
The world's largest seed company, Monsanto, says it will challenge a ruling by a federal judge that allows California officials to require a cancer warning on its weedkiller Roundup, said The Associated Press. If carried out, it would be the first such state-level warning on the herbicide, made with glyphosate, the most widely used weedkiller in the world.
Farm and green groups sue for tougher review of weedkiller dicamba
The EPA failed to consult with the Interior Department over the risk to endangered species before approving use of the Monsanto weedkiller dicamba on GE cotton and soybeans, say four farm and environmental groups in a federal lawsuit. The groups want the U.S. appellate court in San Francisco to order the EPA to consider again if the herbicide merits approval.
Glyphosate ‘not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,’ says EPA paper
In a 227-page "issue paper" compiled for a panel of experts, the EPA says its latest analysis indicates glyphosate, the most widely used weedkiller in the world, does not cause cancer. "The strongest support is for 'not likely to be carcinogenic to humans' at doses relevant to human health risk assessment," says the paper in a discussion of the results of dozens of studies that it reviewed.
House panel looks for skulduggery in glyphosate analyses
In a letter to EPA head Gina McCarthy, the House Science Committee says it has "concerns about the integrity" of a WHO-agency review that rated the weedkiller glyphosate as probably carcinogenic in humans. And it wants to know what influence is being exercised on the EPA's review of the chemical by the U.S. scientists who took part in the international review.
EPA: Widely used weedkiller atrazine is risk to birds, mammals, fish
The second-most widely used weedkiller in the country, atrazine, poses potential chronic risk to birds, mammals and fish due to runoff and spray drift, said a draft ecological-risk assessment by the EPA. The assessment is part of a review that started in 2013 on whether to extend use of the broad-spectrum herbicide in the U.S. for 15 years.
Palmer amaranth develops resistance to another type of weedkiller
One of the greatest threats to cotton and soybean producers is Palmer amaranth, an invasive and aggressively growing weed. The weed has developed resistance to the widely used weedkiller glyphosate and now Palmer amaranth populations in Arkansas are resistant to a class of herbicides known as PPO inhibitors, compounding the challenge of weed control, says a University of Illinois researcher.