Monsanto Supports New Dicamba Label, Offers Additional Incentives

Friday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new restrictions for over-the-top dicamba in 2018. Dicamba manufacturers, Monsanto, BASF and DuPont, voluntarily updated their labels to reflect those changes.

“We’re pleased that our Xtendimax with VaporGrip technology will be available to growers throughout 2018,” says Scott Partridge, Monsanto vice president of global strategy. “And we’re pleased with the restricted use label because it addresses off target issues.”

The new label states that only certified applicators will be able to apply dicamba products in-season. In addition, states will be required to provide dicamba-specific training.

New requirements also limit what time of day applicators can apply dicamba products to avoid possible temperature inversions that could move the product off-target. Monsanto proposed a “dawn to dusk” time of application to avoid any nighttime applications.

In addition to changes to the label, Monsanto is taking a new, incentivized, approach to encouraging on-label dicamba application including:

• Evolved training to reflect what was learned in 2017
• Work with Climate Corporation to help applicators identify problematic weather
• Providing spray nozzles that are compliant with the label to applicators
• Adding a 24-hour call center for label support
• Including a $6 per acre incentive for using Xtendimax with VaporGrip in the Roundup Ready Plus Crop Management Solutions progam

“I don’t believe this will limit farmer access to technology, it certainly places new requirements, but restricted use isn’t new to farmers,” Partridge says. “The second most applied herbicide in the U.S. is atrazine and it’s restricted use so farmers understand record keeping and other requirements.”