By Kay Ledbetter
Special training will be required in 2018 for new dicamba formulations applied on tolerant cotton and soybean crops, according to Environmental Protection Agency labeling revisions.
The Texas Department of Agriculture has approved training and certification administered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, BASF and Monsanto for use of the new dicamba formulations.
To meet this requirement, the AgriLife Extension in Amarillo will host three trainings – Jan. 12, Feb. 9 and March 9 – at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 6500 W. Amarillo Blvd., Amarillo.
The programs will each be from 8:30-9:30 a.m. There will be no registration fee. Each class will provide one TDA continuing education unit on laws and regulations.
“TDA is requiring auxin-specific herbicide training for those using the new formulations of dicamba (Xtendimax, FeXapan and Engenia),” said Dr. Jourdan Bell, AgriLife Extension agronomist, Amarillo. “The auxin training is required for all applicators including licensed applicators and unlicensed applicators who spray under a licensed applicator.”
Xtendimax, FeXapan and Engenia were approved for use in XtendFlex, the dicamba-tolerant cotton from Monsanto. Training is not required for the use of Enlist, the new 2,4-D tolerant cotton from Dow AgroSciences.
However, Bell said, the information provided will still be applicable for producers planning to use Enlist technology.
Enlist is included in several varieties in the PhytoGen Cottonseed company brand while XtendFlex is in several varieties from Deltapine, Americot/NexGen, All-Tex/Dyna-Gro and CROPLAN Genetics brands.
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