Symptoms from plant growth regulator (PGR) herbicides like dicamba have been prevalent in soybeans this summer. That said, there is a new option farmers have to report suspected off-target herbicide damage with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) Pesticide Bureau.

Growers can still call and file an incident report, which involves an investigation with an IDALS Pesticide Bureau investigator. However, this year, growers have a new option to call and file a documentary report, which involves IDALS collecting information about the incident, but IDALS will not visit the site or do any follow-up (keeping a running total on the number of issues and number of acres impacted).

If growers choose to file an incident report, IDALS will collect information about the incident, visit the site and do pesticide applicator follow-up. Additionally, the report needs to contain:

1. the name of the person allegedly responsible for the application of said pesticide

2. the name of the owner or lessee of the land on which the crop is grown, and for which damage is alleged to have occurred

3. the date on which the alleged damage occurred

4. a brief description of the incident

This report must be filed within 40 days after the alleged date that damages occurred. If a growing crop is alleged to have been damaged, the report must be filed before 25% of the crop is harvested. Additional information on filing an incident report can be found at this IDALS webpage.

If you'd like to make either an incident or documentary report with the IDALS Pesticide Bureau, the phone number to call is 515-281-8591.

Both reports are included in IDALS' totals number of pesticide complaints. More information about either making an incident report or documentary report be found at this Iowa State University Extension webpage.

Source: Iowa State University Integrated Crop Management News, which is responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and its subsidiaries aren't responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.