Three formulations of dicamba were abruptly taken off the market this year, but there is a chance they could come back for use in 2021.
The Administrator of the EPA, Andrew Wheeler, says that the reregistration review of three dicamba products that were part of a California court case earlier this summer is ongoing. “The companies that manufacture dicamba have already applied for a new license,” he states. “We’re reviewing that now. We hope to have a decision later this fall in time for people to make plans for the growing season.”
In early June, the Ninth Circuit Court vacated the registration of XtendiMax, Eugenia, and FeXapan dicamba herbicides. Their registrations were set to run through December 20, 2020.
Wheeler says that his agency wants to make sure farmers have those tools if they want to use them, but they need to make sure the products can be used in a responsible manner. “We’re paying very close attention to the Ninth Circuit decision to make sure that if we do re-license it, we’ve answered all of the issues and concerns in that opinion,” he adds.
The availability of other pesticides and herbicides, such as the combinations being tested at the University of Missouri this year, is unclear right now. Wheeler notes, “I don’t know where those are in the cue, but our goal is to register as many different pesticides as possible so that people have the complete slate of different tools to pick.”
Updates on herbicide legal battles.