Experts say EPA limits on dicamba may not stop crop damage - Entrepreneur Generations

Some U.S. weed experts say they don't think new federal restrictions on dicamba will prevent the controversial herbicide from damaging crops next year. That's because the Environmental Protection Agency's limits focus on application but not volatilization--the chemical's propensity to turn into a powder after application and drift elsewhere. "Under EPA’s guidelines, only certified pesticide applicators, or people under their supervision, will be allowed to spray dicamba formulations manufactured by Monsanto and BASF next year," Emily Flitter and Tom Polansek report for Reuters. "That restriction may not do much to reduce crop damage related to sprayings, though, because many farmers and commercial applicators are already certified, experts said."

The new guidelines also limit the hours each day and the maximum allowable wind speed during which dicamba may be applied. Farmers have to keep records proving they're spraying the herbicide according to the instructions on the label.

Aaron Hager, a weed scientist and professor at the University of Illinois, told Reuters that "nothing in these new restrictions addresses volatility, and that’s still an issue."

The changes were proposed by Monsanto, which blamed most of the crop damage on improper application of dicamba. The EPA will monitor the impact of the restrictions next year to see if further restrictions or a ban are needed later.

"Jonas Oxgaard, an analyst for the investment management firm Bernstein, said the rules could slow the adoption of Monsanto’s Xtend soybean seeds by making it harder for farmers to find times when they are permitted to spray dicamba," Reuters reports.

Dicamba has recently been blamed for causing damage to oak trees and older strains of corn and soybeans, as we reported here.


from The Rural Blog http://ift.tt/2kWDnA7 Experts say EPA limits on dicamba may not stop crop damage - Entrepreneur Generations

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