Oklahoma producers intending to use dicamba herbicides labeled for the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System for soybeans and cotton are required to attend federal training meetings. Several are scheduled for March 24, throughout various regions of Oklahoma. 

“You must be a certified applicator and you have to be trained to legally apply these products,” said Todd Baughman, Oklahoma State University Extension summer crop weed specialist. “Even if you went through a training in previous years, you’re still required to go through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry-approved trainings every year.”

Recently introduced to Oklahoma, the Xtend cropping system for cotton and soybeans allows over-the-top application of dicamba herbicides, which traditionally had not been the case until this newest technology was developed. With that technology, four specific herbicides –Engenia, FeXapan, Tavium, and Xtendimax– were developed that have lower volatility than the other dicamba products currently on the market.

The following free, one-hour trainings will be hosted at county Extension offices via webinar service format. However, organizers urge producers to register in advance of the events:

March 24 at 11 a.m.:

Drift Issues

Drift issues in several states led the Environmental Protection Agency and manufacturers to develop new regulations for the technology.

The mandatory training will cover those regulations, including how to work with the herbicides, which are restricted-use products with extensive recordkeeping requirements, and best management practices for applying the chemicals.

Baughman stressed the training is important because it familiarizes people with the regulations.

“If we have issues, especially to the level that has occurred in other areas, we could potentially lose the use of this technology for soybeans and cotton, which would be a major detriment, especially to producers who are dealing with resistant weeds,” Baughman said.

For more information, including specific training locations and times, contact your nearest county Extension office. Baughman recently addressed the issue on SUNUP, OETA’s popular agricultural program: https://okla.st/2vbhPpD.

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See Baughman's interview with Farm Press, Okla, Texas herbicide applicators required to train/retrain in 2020