An additional certification requirement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is now in place for individuals who plan to apply dicamba in Xtend cropping systems.

Individuals working under the direct supervision of a certified applicator may no longer make applications of legal dicamba products during the growing season.

Agricultural professionals must secure a commercial or private pesticide applicator certification and take the additional applicator training required for application of approved dicamba herbicide products in Xtend cropping systems.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service will offer an increased number of training opportunities around the state to help Mississippians comply with this new requirement.

Darrin Dodds, Extension cotton specialist, said the purpose of the requirement is to increase the safe and effective use of these herbicides that are being used more commonly each year since their introduction.

“These products have seen increased usage over the past two growing seasons, but this has not come without setbacks, including off-target movement onto susceptible plant species,” Dodds said. “The goal of these training programs is to educate those who purchase and apply these products about proper application procedures and reduce the number of off-target damage incidents. Education is critical to ensuring these products remain within the bounds of where they are applied.”

The online mandatory training modules are being revised to reflect new federal EPA guidelines. The modules will be available at http://www.auxintraining.comas soon as they are complete.

Face-to-face training workshops are being planned for additional opportunities to access the online auxin training information. 

For dates and locations for the pesticide applicator training, go to http://extension.msstate.edu/calendar, or contact your local Extension office.

This is a joint effort of Extension, the Mississippi Bureau of Plant Industry, and Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce.

Source: Mississippi State University Extension, 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.