The Environmental Protection Agency has tightened restrictions on certain herbicides, putting the spotlight on the controversial weed killer dicamba.
The EPA has finalized a time-limited registration that allows dicamba to be sprayed over dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton for the 2026 and 2027 growing seasons — but with stricter controls. The agency says this reapproval comes with the “strongest safeguards ever” to reduce drift and other risks, including narrower spray windows, reduced application allowances and added reporting requirements
Ty Witten with Bayer says. “We were excited to see finally on February 6th, that EPA approved Stryax for over-the-top use and extend flex soybeans and extend flex cotton. We, as you know, didn’t have that for the 25 season after the vacater from the court, 9th circuit on 2024. And so we’ve been working very hard with the EPA to do it. We wanted it in December, but we’re happy to see it finally in February. And so us, as well as BASF and Syngenta received the registrations for the Extend Flex use. And I think we’re now excited that growers have this tool back.”
For its part, Bayer says the EPA’s registration clears the way for its new low-volatility dicamba product, Stryax, and that it will now work with states on approvals and training for certified applicators to ensure proper use.
Witten continues, “We also have an extension of this product label called stryaxapplicationrequirements.com. On there you will see where all the state approvals are. You’ll see additional label requirements. If a state chooses to impose those, you’ll see a training deck, and information on how you become trained as an applicator. Again, this requires annual training. And, we will offer those starting the first week of March. We’re going to offer live webinars weekly as well as computer based training in the past so growers and applicators can get trained, and meet the requirements of this restricted use pesticide.”
Under the new rules, farmers may only apply dicamba twice per year at reduced rates, must add extra volatility- and drift-reducing agents, and follow new temperature-based limits on spraying. The EPA says these measures cut overall exposure in half and better protect endangered species and ecosystems.
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