The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is continuing its investigations into the alleged misuse of dicamba herbicide products intended for dicamba-tolerant (DT) soybeans, though on-going work reveals a pattern of issues with label violations.
In 2021, there were 304 reports of alleged dicamba misuse which resulted in 120 dicamba investigations. Due to the significant number of investigations, the MDA does not expect to complete the review and enforcement related to the investigations prior to the 2022 growing season.
However, based on the dicamba investigations reviewed to date, the MDA has documented multiple incidents of the following label violations:
A vast majority of the associated dicamba application records reviewed by MDA field investigators were incomplete. Missing, inaccurate, or partially recorded information does not meet the label requirements and, therefore, is a violation of the label. The MDA will continue to enforce the use of these products by investigating reports of alleged dicamba misuse and reviewing dicamba application records.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the following Minnesota-specific restrictions in 2022 for three dicamba products: XtendiMax by Bayer, Engenia by BASF, and Tavium by Syngenta.
In addition to the cutoff date, Xtendimax and Tavium have crop growth stage cutoffs.
Applicators must follow all product label directions and restrictions. The product labels can be found on the product manufacturer’s websites (Bayer, BASF, orSyngenta).
Additional information regarding the Minnesota-specific restrictions can be found onthe MDA’s website.