Growers need to be aware of new deadlines on the purchase and use of over-the-top dicamba products in light of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Existing Stocks Order issued Feb. 14. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will continue the producer trainings offered around the state and support producers through outreach and education about recommended best practices.
This Existing Stock Order is a result of the recent U.S. District Court of Arizona’s ruling to vacate the 2020 registrations for over-thetop use of dicamba herbicides — Xtendimax, Engenia and Tavium — specifically for use on dicambatolerant cotton and soybean.
The EPA issued the order in recognition that significant amounts of Xtendimax, Engenia and Tavium herbicides were already in circulation prior to the Arizona court’s decision.
What producers need to know
Scott Nolte, AgriLife Extension statewide weed specialist in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station, said this is a chance for producers who have already purchased their herbicides or have plans to use those remaining stocks in 2024, but there are clear deadlines.
For Texas growers, the EPA-established purchase deadline for these herbicides is May 31 for dicamba-tolerant soybeans and June 30 for dicamba-tolerant cotton. The final dates to apply dicamba products are June 30 for soybeans and July 30 for cotton, after which any unused products will be considered illegal to use, Nolte said.
The ruling states the use of products already in the possession of growers or within trade channels, must comply with previously approved 2020 labeling to minimize environmental harm, which includes completing the annual auxin training requirement. Producers should contact their local AgriLife Extension agent for in-person meeting information or they can take the training online. These dicamba herbicides have undergone several regulatory updates, and the AgriLife Extensionoffered trainings are meant to keep producers advised of those changes and best practices.
“The order on Feb. 14 assists growers who planned to or have already invested in dicamba-tolerant seeds for the season,” Nolte said. “It also means that growers must abide by stringent guidelines for use of the existing stocks of dicamba as well as the deadlines for their purchase and use.”