Dicamba Applicators Reminded of New Label Requirements

Dicamba applicators are reminded to follow the new label requirements for Engenia, XtendiMax and Tavium. The products were re-registered in October 2020 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after a federal court ruling in June 2020 vacated the previous 2018 registrations.

“Applicators are required to identify all nearby sensitive areas prior to application and are advised to closely monitor atmospheric conditions when planning applications. It is also a good idea to consider forecasted changes in wind direction for the next 48 hours following a planned application that may have an impact on adjacent sensitive areas,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “Many of the off-target incidents we’ve investigated over the last several years have concluded that proper applications were made; however, wind shifts that occurred after the application caused damage to neighboring crops. Good communication between applicators and neighboring landowners is also crucial to help prevent damage.”

Some notable changes to the federal label include:

• Prohibits over-the-top (OTT) application of Dicamba on soybeans after June 30
• Increased record-keeping requirements
• Only approved tank mix partners can be used
• Must leave a 240’ downwind buffer to sensitive areas
• Nine counties in North Dakota are required to leave a 310’ downwind buffer as well as a 57’ buffer along all other edges of the field to comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requirements:
  • Burke
  • Bottineau
  • Ward
  • McHenry
  • McLean
  • Stutsman
  • Sargent
  • Richland

“With the future of these products still uncertain due to a pending lawsuit, it is even more important to focus on early pre-emergent applications,” Goehring said. “These products have shown to provide 3-4 weeks of residual so pre-emergent applications can offer significant weed control.”

Applicators are reminded that these are restricted use products. Applicators must be properly certified and take the annual product-specific training provided by registrants prior to using the products.