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Missouri Ag Department: Pesticide (dicamba) awareness week

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has declared this “Pesticide Stewardship Awareness Week” reminding applicators of the state’s special local need label restrictions on Engenia, Xtendimax and Fexapan dicamba herbicides this growing season.

The label has restrictions and limitations for burndown, preplant, planting, preemergence and in-crop application and requires applicators to have the Missouri 24c labels in their possession.

Sami Jo Freeman, the department’s public affairs director, tells Brownfield Ag News in 2017 the department received more than 310 complaints for alleged dicamba misuse, “So, our role at the department is to do our part in controlling that. So, for the 2018 growing season we just wanted to take a look at some different restrictions, some different guidelines to help producers control this new technology.”

The department says it’s a violation of both state and federal law to use pesticides outside of the label restrictions. Certified applicators must have completed training and be verified as well as complete the online Notice of Application form for each day they apply the dicamba products once crops have emerged.

The cut-off date is July 15th for most growers but is June 10th for growers in six southeast Missouri counties. Application must be made before 7:30 a.m. and after 5:30 pm to avoid the risk of temperature inversion that could lead to product drift.

Freeman says this week was picked for awareness because a lot of crops are beginning to emerge.

AUDIO: Interview with Sami Jo Freeman~