Anyone in Minnesota planning to spray dicamba herbicide on dicamba-tolerant soybeans in 2018 must attend special product label training in order to comply with the state’s updated pesticide control law.

According to University of Minnesota Extension, more than 10,000 Minnesotans this year will use Monsanto’s XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology, DowDupont’s FeXapan with VaporGrip Technology and BASF’s Engenia dicamba products. Though dicamba is a herbicide, the product falls under Minnesota’s pesticide control law.

Because these products are now restricted-use pesticides in Minnesota, all applicators of these products must also be a certified private pesticide applicator, or a licensed commercial or noncommercial pesticide applicator. The two-hour training sessions are offered free of charge by manufacturers. Completion of any one of the manufacturers’ training sessions satisfies the federal label training requirements for all three products, regardless of the manufacturer offering the training.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture issued new additional restrictions on dicamba use Dec. 12 for the 2018 growing season. Those additional restrictions include:

• Dicamba is for use only by certified private users, or licensed commercial or noncommercial pesticide applicators. Minnesota does not allow “uncertified applicators.”

• Dicamba cannot be applied after June 20.

• Dicamba cannot be applied if the air temperature in the field at the time of application is more than 85 degrees F or if the National Weather Service’s forecasted high temperature for the nearest available location for the day exceeds 85 degrees F. Local National Weather Service forecasts are available at weather.gov/phi/localclimate.

Minnesota’s special label expires on Oct. 1, 2018, and must not be used or distributed after this date.

Training offered
Information about special-label required training sessions, provided by Monsanto, DowDuPont and BASF, is available on the Minnesota Crop Production Retailers’ 2018 dicamba training webpage. As of early January, training sessions include:

• Jan. 22, 9 to 11 a.m., Willmar, Minn., BASF
• Jan, 22, 2 to 4 p.m., Willmar, Minn., BASF
• Jan. 23, 10 a.m. to noon, Morton, Minn., BASF
• Jan. 23, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Morton, Minn., BASF
• Jan. 24, 10 a.m.-noon, Worthington, Minn., BASF
• Jan. 24, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Worthington, Minn., BASF
• Jan. 25, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., Minnesota Ag Expo, Mankato, Minn., Monsanto
• Jan. 25, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., Willmar, Minn., Monsanto
• Jan. 29, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Rosemount Minn., BASF
• Jan. 31, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Rochester, Minn., BASF
• Jan. 31, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Rochester, Minn., BASF
• Feb. 1, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m., St Cloud, Minn., BASF
• Feb. 13, 4:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m., Fargo, N.D., BASF
• Feb. 15, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Willmar, Minn., BASF
• Feb. 15, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Grand Forks, N.D., BASF
• Feb. 15, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Willmar, Minn., BASF

Check the MCPR website listed above for training site updates and for additional dicamba product-specific information provided by the three chemical companies.

More information about becoming a certified or licensed pesticide applicator is available from Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s licensing unit website.