The Illinois Department of Agriculture says it will not issue additional label restrictions on dicamba herbicide use in 2018.

According to Morgan Booth, IDOA public information officer, the only restrictions that will apply in Illinois in 2018 are those already determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The restrictions make in-season dicamba products — including XtendiMax, Engenia and FeXapan — restricted use and set forth additional label use restrictions on those products.

“At this time, there are no additional planned state-specific restrictions on those dicamba-containing products for the 2018 growing season in Illinois,” Booth says.

“We feel that enhanced education and outreach from stakeholders and interest groups will be key in 2018 to further explain label instructions and proper product use. Per the new label requirement, many stakeholders have begun offering special dicamba training in preparation for the 2018 growing season,” she adds.

Other Midwestern soybean-producing states have set forth additional restrictions. Here’s a look:

• Missouri: With 311 dicamba-related drift complaints in 2017, the state has enacted county-specific application cutoff dates. The largest state cooperative has also set its own application guidelines, which will rely on growth stages.

• Indiana: Indiana does not have additional restrictions but requires state applicators to attend Extension training in Indiana; classes across the state line don’t count. Other states have similar requirements, and it’s not yet clear how that will play out for custom applicators who apply across state lines.

• Iowa: To the west, Iowa hasn’t yet announced restrictions, but officials haven’t ruled them out. Any decision regarding additional restrictions will be made by the chief of the pesticide bureau and the secretary of the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Iowa State University recommends dicamba not be used postemergence on dicamba-tolerant beans — only use it as a burndown or preemergence.

• North Dakota: State officials have issued additional specific and thorough restrictions: no dicamba application after June 20 or the onset of R1 growth stage, whichever is earlier; applications can only be made from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset; winds at boom height have to be 3 to 10 mph; sprayer speed is limited to 12 mph; no applications if the forecast high temperature for the day is 85 degrees F or higher; applicators must notify state before spraying.

In Illinois in 2017, a total of 430 pesticide misuse complaints were filed. Of those, 362 were classified as agriculture-related, and of those, 246 — or 68% — were regarding dicamba products. To date, less than 40% of total complaints have been resolved. Of the total complaints, Booth says 67 cases were found to have no misuse and were closed; 91 cases resulted in warning letters, and nine fines were levied.

Of the cases that were closed, Booth says the investigating field agent found there was not sufficient evidence to confirm a misuse. Among other possibilities, that can also mean the agent concluded that dicamba was applied correctly, or the damage came from a nonpesticide source.

Booth says the nine fines levied by IDOA came in at:
• two fines at $1,000 each
• three fines at $750 each
• four fines at $500 each

Booth adds, “It is the hope of the department that the new label requirements, in addition to education and outreach by the industry, will result in significantly less misuse complaints in 2018.”

For more on dicamba:

Dicamba: New rules, new training

Using dicamba in 2018? Grab your record book