The Indiana Pesticide Review Board voted to make most dicamba products restricted-use pesticides even before EPA made it a federal requirement. Part of the change in status affects training you must have to buy and apply restricted-use dicamba products.

Dave Scott, pesticide administrator with the Office of the Indiana State Chemist, recently clarified several points related to the new rules. Here is information from Scott.

Who can purchase and apply dicamba herbicides in 2018? All dicamba products with 6.5% or more dicamba and an ag use label may now be purchased and used only by commercial applicators licensed in Category 1 for agricultural pest management or permitted private applicators, such as farmers. Certification details are available online for commercial applicators and private applicators.

What must people do differently in 2018 when purchasing these products? As with all pesticides, you must read and follow all label directions, including product-specific use directions on websites cited on the product label. In addition, you must now keep RUP [restricted-use pesticide] application records for at least two years from the date of application.

Are there more requirements if someone wants to use the new dicamba products? Yes, if you want to use Engenia (BASF), XtendiMax (Monsanto), or FeXapan (DuPont), there are additional requirements for 2018. Prior to applying any of these three products, every applicator must complete state-required dicamba training. This training requirement applies to every commercial applicator, registered technician, private applicator or noncertified applicator working under the private applicator’s supervision who makes applications to soybeans or to any other crops listed on these product labels.

What is a registered technician? A registered technician is a commercial applicator who has passed the core exam only, but not the Category 1 ag pest management exam.

Why are registered technicians mentioned separately? Registered technicians still need direct supervision from the fully licensed applicator, but the supervision does not have to be “on-site” supervision.

Do people need to complete training before buying these products? Individuals who are already certified applicators, both private and commercial, don’t need to complete training to purchase the products, but the training must be completed before making any applications.

What type of dicamba training will be accepted in Indiana? Only Office of the Indiana State Chemist-approved dicamba training will be accepted. Although the registrants of the three products have produced their own training materials, only the approved Indiana materials will meet the training requirements.

Where and when will trainings be held? Starting Jan. 1, all training will be run through the existing continuing certification hour [CCH] program for commercial applicators and the Private Applicators Recertification Program for private applicators. Every 2018 PARP session will include the dicamba training. Likewise, many Category 1 CCH trainings will include the required dicamba training. CCH training events will be posted as “program name/mandatory dicamba training.” Check this schedule for approved PARP trainings. Here is a schedule for approved CCH trainings. 

Editor’s note: Part of this material was supplied in a handout issued by Dave Scott on behalf of the Office of the Indiana State Chemist. This is the first in a two-part series.