The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship recently issued a special local-needs registration for dicamba herbicide products used for application on dicamba-tolerant soybeans. The products are XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology, FeXapan plus VaporGrip Technology and Engenia herbicide. The registration outlines topics that must be covered during the auxin-specific (dicamba) training for farmers and commercial applicators this winter.

The training is required as part of the EPA registration for over-the-top application of dicamba. What if you are using dicamba preemergence and not postemergence? Are you still required to take the training? The answer is “yes” in Iowa. Training is required for all applications of dicamba on Xtend beans.

“We worked closely with Iowa State University to develop these updated training topics,” says Mike Naig, Iowa secretary of agriculture. “This training is separate from the pesticide applicator continuing education courses that are already in place. It’s important that applicators closely follow all aspects of the product label when using dicamba or any herbicide.”

Online training also available
IDALS is working with the Agribusiness Association of Iowa to provide a listing of approved training meetings being held at locations in Iowa. They are listed at DicambaTrainingIowa.org. The sessions began Jan. 22 and continue through the end of February. If you don’t attend one of the meetings, you can take online training, which begins in March.

EPA worked with pesticide manufacturers, farmers, state regulators and other stakeholders to develop label changes for use of dicamba on dicamba-tolerant soybeans through the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. The EPA rules specify that only certified applicators may apply dicamba. People working under the supervision of a certified applicator may no longer make applications of dicamba without being trained and certified themselves. Anyone applying, mixing and loading a sprayer with dicamba products must be trained and certified.

These topics are included in all approved 2019 dicamba training sessions in Iowa:

The IDALS Pesticide Bureau is responsible for responding to complaints and investigating potential misuse of pesticides. Education and testing on safe use of pesticides is administered to all licensed pesticide applicators by IDALS in conjunction with ISU Extension.

IDALS will continue to maintain FieldWatch, the free online registry for apiaries and commercially grown crops sensitive to pesticides. Applicators are encouraged to check FieldWatch before applying pesticides. Iowans with qualifying crops or beehives should register their locations at fieldwatch.com.

If there is concern about a specific pesticide misuse incident, Iowans can file an incident report with IDALS Pesticide Bureau at 515-281-8591 or email the information to [email protected]. This report must be filed within 60 days after the alleged date the damages occurred. More information on rules and activities of the IDALS Pesticide Bureau is at iowaagriculture.gov.

Source: IDALS, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.