Farm Progress

What applicators need to know about new mandatory training

January 11, 2018

2 Min Read
<p><em>Several thousand acres of Mid-South soybeans have been affected by either drift, volatility, temperature inversions or tank contamination from dicamba herbicide applications.</em></p>

Before Tennessee applicators can apply low-volatile versions of dicamba herbicide to a crop in 2018, they must first attend a University of Tennessee Extension dicamba-specific training.

UT Extension’s Dicamba Stewardship Training is mandatory for all individuals applying XtendiMax, Engenia or FeXapan in Tennessee, not just the certified applicator. “The goal of this training module is to get everyone on the same page with regards to dicamba practices,” says Larry Steckel, UT Extension Weed Specialist and training coordinator. “Therefore, everyone who will be in the sprayer seat applying dicamba will have to be trained.”

“We must do a better job of stewarding this technology in 2018,” he adds.

The one-hour Dicamba Stewardship Training will be held in-person at regional grain conferences, the Cotton Focus meeting, and at UT Extension county meetings held across the state. These training sessions will begin in January.

Additionally, the training will be available online at a later date.

The cost of the training is $25.

Go to the UTIA Dicamba Training page online for updates on in-person training dates as well as the link to the online training when it is available. You can also contact your local county Extension office for upcoming meeting details.

The training fulfills a portion of the federal and state requirements to apply XtendiMax, Engenia and FeXapan. You must have a valid dicamba certification card to apply these pesticides in Tennessee. Participants will receive their dicamba certification card at the training conclusion.

The training will cover best management practices for XtendiMax, Engenia and FeXapan as well as changes to the 2018 federal and state label for these formulations.

Because XtendiMax, Engenia and FeXapan are registered as restricted-use pesticides, producers must have private applicator certification in addition to dicamba certification to use these products.

Dicamba Training Opportunities

Below are dates of regional meetings where the dicamba training will be offered. Follow the UTIA Dicamba Training page for weekly updates on additional training opportunities and information on the availability of online training.

  • 18 – East Tennessee Grain Conference – First Baptist Church, Lenoir City, Tenn.

  • 30 – Middle Tennessee Grain Conference – Coffee County Fairgrounds, Manchester, Tenn.

  • 1 – West Tennessee Grain Conference – Dyer County Fairgrounds, Dyersburg, Tenn.

  • 8 – Cotton Focus – First United Methodist Church, Jackson, Tenn.

From the UT Institute of Agriculture

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