ELWOOD, Ind. — Damage from dicamba drift has the potential to be worse this year in Indiana and across the country than it was in 2016, according to the chair of the Save Our Crops Coalition (SOCC). Last fall, the Indiana Pesticide Review Board recommended pesticides containing dicamba be classified as restricted use, but that process could take six months to a year. In the meantime, the board opted to follow the guidelines for use set by the U.S. EPA and to not put any additional restrictions on such products.

 

The restricted-use designation would put limits on who could sell and use dicamba-containing products. Sellers must be restricted-use pesticide dealers, and the products could only be applied by certified licensed applicators.

 

“(The restricted-use classification) is absolutely not going to happen this year,” said the SOCC’s Steve Smith, also director of agriculture with Elwood-based Red Gold. “The extra measure of safety is not going to be in place. We’ve always had concerns the characteristics of this particular herbicide will cause a threat to sensitive crops in the state. With the experience of last year and the extensive damage, there’s no reason to think those things won’t happen here.”

 

Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee reported damage from dicamba drift last year.

 

In November, the EPA announced it had approved Monsanto Co.’s dicamba herbicide – XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology – on genetically engineered soybeans and cotton designed to be tolerant to the product. The label has restrictions designed to further reduce the potential for spray drift. For example, spray from aircraft is prohibited, as is application when the wind speed is greater than 15 mph. Weeds must be 4 inches in height or less. An in-field buffer of 110-220 feet, depending on application rate, is required to protect sensitive crops when the wind is blowing toward them. No other herbicides may be mixed with XtendiMax.

 

The Indiana pesticide board will watch for potential damage from drift, board Secretary Dave Scott said last fall. “We’ll see if the safeguards are adequate, and if not, we’ll go back and revisit,” he explained. “Members will be looking for status reports at every meeting.”

 

Smith met with EPA officials in Washington, D.C., during the last week of March. He said the officials indicated a repeat of last year’s damage from dicamba drift could cause the agency to take another look at the registration. “This will be the first crop year with the new dicamba label,” he noted. “The extent of damage in the mid-South last year got people’s attention. There’s a higher degree of awareness about this stuff.”

 

Missouri lawmakers passed a law raising fines for damage caused by the illegal application of herbicides. Farmers may be fined up to $10,000 for each incident and $25,000 for repeated damage. The previous fine was $1,000 per incident. Red Gold contracts with farmers in Indiana, southern Michigan and northwestern Ohio to grow tomatoes. “We are absolutely concerned about our crop and our growers,” Smith said. “It’s the reason we’ve been engaged in this for so long. We’ve got our issues of supply, but there’s a risk to their farms.”

 

He is also concerned the EPA approved the label wording without first setting residue tolerances for dicamba on some sensitive crops. Glyphosate and 2,4-D have such tolerances, he added: “Everybody has to be more on their game. Losses could be extremely high due to no residue tolerances.” Smith urges SOCC members and farmers to share concerns with state boards and regulatory bodies that will be

evaluating the outcome of 2017.