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Minnesota Ag Department denies dicamba extension request
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will not grant a request by the Minnesota Soybean Growers to extend the cutoff date for dicamba applications.
Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen tells Brownfield it was a difficult decision and he appreciates the input received from the Association.
“But the fact of the matter is after talking to the University of Minnesota, our scientists and experts, that really to control and manage the weeds after June 20th, dicamba is just not always the best option.”
He says research shows volatility spikes in Minnesota after June 20th and points to a dramatic reduction in dicamba drift complaints from 2017 to 2018, the first year a date and temperature cutoff were in effect.
Speaking to Brownfield before MDA denied the dicamba extension, Minnesota farmer and member of the Soybean Growers Dicamba Taskforce Bob Worth said they asked to move the cutoff date to June 27th.
“I know seven days isn’t much, but we really want to protect the people that had beans in early. And we also want to make sure that the farmers can use this great product.”
Petersen says Minnesota Extension experts recommend using dicamba technology now because late planting combined with pre-plant tillage can offer advantages for weed control.
Thom Petersen audio:
Bob Worth audio:
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