EPA Approves Spraying of Dicamba for Another Year

Dicamba Damaged Soybeans (photo: University of Missouri)

This summer farmers filed a record number of complaints to EPA and state agencies related to crop damage suspected from drift as a result of the aerial spraying of weed killers formulated with  dicamba. As a result lawsuits by farmers have been filed against the manufacturers of the chemical,  Monsanto, BASF, Dupont and Pioneer, and the Arkansas State Plant Board voted in September to ban the chemical application on crops from April to November. A public hearing has been set for November. EPA, however, announced on Friday that dicamba formulations designed to be used with specially engineered herbicide resistant soybean and cotton seeds could continue to be sprayed throughout next year's growing season with certain restrictions such as training and certification for applicators, record-keeping, and prohibitions on applying during certain time of the day or when wind speeds exceed 10 miles per hour. 


According to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt "Today's actions are the result of intensive, collaborative efforts, working side by side with the states and university scientists from across the nation who have first-hand knowledge of the problem and workable solutions. Our collective efforts with our state partners ensure we are relying on the best, on-the-ground, information."

 Of course the manufacturers are pleased with the decision, with Monsanto's spokesperson, Scott Partridge, stating that he expects the planting of their dicamba-resistant soybean seeds to double next year to 40 million acres. Farmers who do not want to purchase the specially formulated seeds are not convinced that the new EPA restrictions will be adequate in protecting their own crops against incidental damage and feel that they may be forced to buy the resistant seeds to stay in business. Read NPR story here: http://nhpr.org/post/ok-epa-use-controversial-weedkiller-expected-double#stream/0.

In the meantime, researchers continue to study alternatives to controlling weeds on soybean crops.   North Dakota State University’s Carrington Research Extension Center conducted trials by planting Rye as a companion crop alongside soybeans and found multiple benefits. In addition to the suppression of weeds, the rye helps prevent soil erosion and can also be harvested as forage, providing additional income.

Bees need a variety of flowers to flourish

Do we really want to keep creating herbicide resistant seeds which promote the planting of mono-culture crops and the lose of biodiversity that comes along with it? As we have seen with glyphosate and other weed killers, weeds will eventually become resistant and new stronger chemicals will need to be created.  In addition to herbicide drift, beekeepers have also reported adverse impacts in the production of honey from bees located near dicamba-treated fields. It is suspected that the lose of nectar from the "non-desired weeds" is the cause. To some, weeds are only seen as something to be destroyed. However, in the complexity of nature, destroying one element, will result in some impact(s) to another. The preferred option should always be to try and work with nature and not against it. Unfortunately when profits are at stake it can be difficult to make the right choice when a short-term solution is presented and the potential long-term consequences are hidden or ignored.