Label restrictions have been updated for three dicamba products that are registered until December 20, 2025. The products are:
- Engenia Herbicide®, manufactured by BASF
- Xtendimax® With VaporGrip® Technology, made by Bayer CropScience
- Tavium® Plus VaporGrip® Technology, a Syngenta product
These herbicides are intended for post-emergent use on soybeans that have been genetically modified to resist damage from the products. Both the seeds and the products were widely used in 2017-2018. Despite the formulation intended to reduce volatilization, there were many complaints about the products volatilizing and drifting onto non-target crops.
In response, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency imposed new label requirements for 2018, amended the labels in 2019 and again in 2020.
New Label Requirements
These are not all of the requirements. Please read the label thoroughly. Remember, the label is the law.
These are now restricted-use products, so that only certified applicators can apply them. (In Wisconsin, applying under the supervision of a certified applicator is not acceptable.)
Applicators must complete special training to use these products annually, prior to the growing season.
Record-keeping requirements are new and different from those for other products.
You must check with the owner or operator of neighboring fields to find out what is planted or will be planted there. It is not enough to check Driftwatch™, because it does not include soybean fields unless they are organic. Also, it is voluntary, so may not include even all of the organic soybean fields.
New requirement in 2020: The latest that you can apply Engenia or Xtendimax is up to and including June 30. Applications after soybean plants reach the R1 growth stage are prohibited. Tavium may be applied through the V4 growth stage or prior to June 30, whichever comes first.
New requirement in 2020: In some counties, you must provide both a 310-foot in-field wind-directional spray drift buffer and a 57-foot omnidirectional in-field buffer to protect federally listed threatened and endangered species. Before you use any of these products, you must obtain an Endangered Species Bulletin for the month you plan to apply. Bulletins are available on the EPA website.
Training
Wisconsin will accept training provided by the three companies, by the University of Wisconsin-Madison pesticide applicator training program, and training provided by other states.
Bayer training
BASF training
Syngenta training
Complaints
If you suspect that you have damage to your crops or landscaping from dicamba products or other herbicides, please submit a complaint to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Find more details on our pesticide complaint page.
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