By Paul Kassel and Dr. Bob Hartzler
The 2020 registration for Xtendimax, Engenia and the extension of the Tavium registration included additional restrictions for protection of Endangered Species.
Iowa counties with Endangered Species protection include Allamakee, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Delaware, Dickinson, Dubuque, Emmet, Hancock, Howard, Jackson, Kossuth and Osceola.
There is a major change in how the Endangered Species are protected. The downwind buffers that are intended to keep Xtendimax, Engenia and Tavium herbicide within the boundaries of the field now apply to the entire county – not just a specific area in the county where the Endangered Species are located.
Previous designations of Endangered Species locations in a specific area within a county have led to damage and misappropriation of Endangered Species – and therefore contradicted the intent of the protection of Endangered Species.
Therefore, dicamba applications to Roundup Ready Xtend or Roundup Ready Xtendflex soybean varieties in the Endangered Species counties require a 310 downwind in-field buffer and a 57 foot buffer in the other three non-downwind directions.
Corn fields and pasture cannot be used as a buffer calculation. However, the road right of ways can be used in the buffer calculation.
The exception would be if one of the adjacent fields is a Roundup Ready Xtend or Roundup Ready Xtendflex soybean variety.
You should check the EPA bulletins live! website for additional information. Be sure to use the most recent Xtendimax, Engenia or Tavium herbicide labels to determine the results for the Pesticide Use Limitation Area (PULA).
This PULA for Xtendimax and Engenia may limit the amount of commercial application a company will be willing to do in counties with Endangered Species restrictions.
Source : iastate.edu