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Greater adoption of dicamba could be driving increase in misuse complaints

Reports of off target movement of dicamba have increased this year in parts of the Midwest, but so has the use of the herbicide.

In Illinois the number of misuse complaints have nearly doubled from 2018, while reports in Missouri have gone down.

Jean Payne with the Illinois Chemical and Fertilizer Association says they surveyed their applicator members and in central Illinois where they have seen the most symptomology issues, the adoption of dicamba tolerant soybeans was up by 60%.

“When you increase the number of acres that you apply, you obviously increase the probability of issues too.”

She tells Brownfield she helped the Illinois ag department implement a cutoff date this year, but delayed planting kept it from decreasing complaints like they had hoped.

“I don’t think anyone wanted to spray dicamba in July, they just didn’t feel like they had those choices. When you plant dicamba tolerant soybeans that is your herbicide program.”

But, she says not all the blame can be put on Mother Nature.

“We have a lot of responsibility to manage these products. So, that is a serious thing that we have to take some really aggressive, proactive approaches on.”

Payne says she doesn’t think simply banning dicamba in soybeans is a good solution because the product has other uses for pastures and the turf industry. The makers of the dicamba products continue to insist the products are not at fault and are providing much needed weed control.