July 10, 2017
Arkansas and Missouri issue emergency bans on the use and sale of Dicamba herbicides after a sharp rise in pesticide drift damage reports.
With more than 600 complaints in Arkansas and 130 in Missouri, the regulatory bans are the latest setback for the herbicide and seed “Xtend” system, which many hoped would help farmers gain the edge over weeds that are resistant to multiple herbicides.
Arkansas’s 120-day ban on Engenia herbicides goes into effect at midnight Tuesday. Monsanto‘s Dicamba formulation was not approved for sale in Arkansas this year. Missouri banned all in-crop applications and sales as of Friday.
State Ag Director, Chris Chinn, says “We want to protect farmers and their livelihoods. At the same time, my commitment to technology and innovation in agriculture is unwavering. That’s why I am asking the makers of these approved post-emergent products, researchers and farmers to work with us to determine how we can allow applications to resume this growing season, under certain agreed upon conditions.”
And if you’re dealing with Dicamba drift damage on your farm don’t expect crop insurance to come to the rescue.
Crop insurance only covers losses for drought, floods, and other natural disasters, but USDA’s Risk Management Agency will begin allowing farmers exclusions from their annual production history due to uninsurable losses, like pesticide drift, in 2018.