Some growers will have until July 15 to apply the herbicide
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Soybean producers in Illinois will have a longer window to apply an important herbicide.
Because of the consistent rain and delayed planting, the Illinois Department of Agriculture is extending its dicamba application window from June 30 to July 15.
The extension, however, will only apply to farmers who planted after June 1. Anyone who planted before June 1 must adhere to the original cutoff of planting date plus 45 days.
Growers in the state are only now approaching the halfway point of soybean planting, the USDA’s Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin said on Tuesday.
Providing more time to apply dicamba is necessary, said John Sullivan, director of the state ag department.
“This decision was not taken lightly, however, farmers have been under intense pressure related to the extreme weather conditions and hopefully this decision will provide some relief,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
Giving farmers extra time to spray dicamba is important for them to finish planting.
They’ll be able to plant faster compared to if they used other products, said Todd Thumma, an agronomist with Golden Harvest and member of the Illinois Soybean Association’s Soy Envoy.
“Being able to use dicamba as a burndown and not have to wait to plant soybeans is a huge advantage, especially in areas where weeds have shown resistance to glyphosate,” he told Farms.com. “Right now, people are using 2,4-D as a burndown, but the label requirement means they have to wait seven days before planting soybeans. That weeklong waiting period doesn’t apply to dicamba.”
Farmers in other states won’t receive dicamba application extensions.
The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association asked the state ag department for more time to apply dicamba but had the request denied.
Growers need to spray the product now before it’s too late, said Thom Petersen, Minnesota’s agriculture commissioner.
“We understand that late planting this season has caused concern for growers who want to use this crop management tool,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “However, delaying applications in an attempt to control later-emerging weeds can result in poor control and presents other risks.
“If you are one of the growers who has invested in dicamba technology, now is the time to use it because late planting combined with pre-plant tillage can offer advantages for weed control, according to University of Minnesota Extension.”
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