Dicamba users urged to follow new label requirements & cutoff date

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) urges pesticide applicators to take special care while applying dicamba products this growing season. To prevent off-target movement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has made substantial changes to the 2021 dicamba labels specifically related to application cutoff date, buffer distances, and record keeping requirements, and the MDA is reminding users that the label is the law.
For the 2021 growing season, applicators may use the three dicamba products, XtendiMax, Engenia, and Tavium, on dicamba tolerant soybeans until June 30. The federal label prohibits applications of these three dicamba products after June 30 to dicamba-tolerant soybeans. Regardless of cutoff date, applications are prohibited after V4 growth stage for Tavium and after R1 stage for XtendiMax. Additionally, the labels require a 240-foot downwind buffer and prohibits applications if the wind is blowing towards an adjacent sensitive crop. Sensitive crops include, but are not limited to, non-dicamba-tolerant soybeans, sugar beets, tomatoes, fruiting vegetables, fruit trees, cucurbits, grapes, beans, flowers, ornamentals, peas, potatoes, sunflower, and other broadleaf plant crops.
Only Certified Applicators can legally purchase and use these formulations of dicamba because they are classified as “Restricted Use Pesticides” (RUP). The label has extensive and detailed requirements for recordkeeping, and the applicator must create these records within 72 hours of the application. The MDA expects all users of these dicamba products to have fully completed records in accordance with the federal label requirements. Enforcement will be taken for any violations of the product label.
The following guidelines and resources can help applicators prevent off-target movement while applying dicamba:
Do not apply XtendiMax, Engenia, or Tavium on soybeans if you have not attended the auxin/dicamba mandatory training offered by dicamba registrants Bayer, BASF, or Syngenta.
To help applicators, the MDA has developed a video presentation as part of the mandatory dicamba training. This video is not a substitute for the required training.