Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski reported this week that, “Minnesota announced restrictions Tuesday on how farmers can use the herbicide dicamba in 2018, responding to complaints by soybean growers across the country that it harmed their crops this year.
“The Minnesota Department of Agriculture set a June 20 cutoff date for applying the herbicide and prohibited applications when the temperature or forecast high for the day is above 85 degrees. The rules are meant to reduce instances of the herbicide drifting and damaging neighboring fields, which has been a problem in soybean- and cotton-growing states nationwide this year.
“‘We will be closely monitoring the herbicide’s performance with these restrictions in 2018,’ Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson said in a statement.”
The AP article stated that, “The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says it received 253 complaints from soybean growers in 49 Minnesota counties, including 55 requests for formal inspections. University of Minnesota researchers estimate that 265,000 acres across the state were affected.
“The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association welcomed the new rules.”
