The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will follow the EPA’s federal registration and label for dicamba herbicides in the 2021 growing season. This means an application cutoff date of June 30 or the R1 growth stage, whichever comes first. For the last three years, Minnesota enforced a June 20 cutoff or the R1 growth stage for over-the-top dicamba application. Minnesota Agriculture Department Assistant Commissioner Whitney Place says the decision came down to two factors. “The process we’ve used in past years, the 24(c) label, wasn’t going to be allowed by the EPA and the other factor is these are new formulations with new requirements including tank mix additions to reduce drift. We don’t feel like we had sufficient data to scientifically make a claim.” Registrants will be working with the ag department on training and educational materials. Minnesota’s enforcement efforts will also increase for product misuse in 2021. Read the press release.
