EPA Issues Existing Stocks Order for Dicamba Products

Feb 16, 2024

In light of the Feb. 6, 2024 ruling by the U.S. District Court of Arizona vacating the 2020 registrations for over-the-top dicamba products, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an Existing Stocks Order for Dicamba Products Previously Registered for Over-the-Top Use on Dicamba-Tolerant Cotton and Soybeans, including XtendiMax, Engenia and Tavium. This order allows for limited sale and distribution of dicamba OTT products that were already in the possession of growers or in the channels of trade and outside the control of pesticide companies as of Feb. 6, 2024.

“We are grateful to EPA for hearing farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns and addressing them quickly to ensure we have access to the critical tools needed to protect our crops this season. Without EPA stepping in, farmers and ranchers across the country were facing uncertainty and financial risk,” said American Farm Bureau president Zippy Duvall. “Farmers are committed to the safe use of all crop protection tools, and many had already made planting decisions with dicamba-tolerant crop systems in place for the season. We rely on science-based guidance from EPA, and we appreciate the agency standing by farmers and science in this decision.”

The issuance of this existing stocks order will help ensure that growers who already possess OTT dicamba and/or have already purchased dicamba-tolerant seeds and thus are reliant on the availability of specific products solely for the 2024 growing season: (1) apply only dicamba formulations designed for use over the top of dicamba-tolerant soybean and cotton, rather than violating FIFRA by misusing more volatile dicamba formulations which could lead to greater offsite movement (and thus potential damage to non-dicamba tolerant crops and other plants); and (2) apply these OTT dicamba products consistent with restrictions intended to reduce offsite movement and protect human health and the environment.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.