Minnesota puts new restrictions on controversial herbicide
Minnesota farmers applying dicamba on their soybean fields next year will face some new restrictions.
The Minnesota Agriculture Department's new rules restrict dicamba use to days with a high temperature of 85 degrees or cooler, and prohibits application after June 20.
In October the federal EPA issued new guidelines requiring that anyone applying the chemical must receive certified training.
About 250 Minnesota farmers complained this year that the herbicide drifted away from dicamba resistant fields onto neighboring land, damaging more than 250,000 acres of crops.
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Southwest Minnesota farmer Bob Worth led a state soybean growers association task force on the issue. He said drift problems were the main complaint.
"And it could've just been across the fence," said Worth. "But it could also have been maybe a mile or two miles away."
Worth says dicamba drift reduced yields on one of his soybean fields by about 6 bushels an acre.
Agriculture commissioner Dave Frederickson said he hopes the new guidelines will reduce the damage.
"I don't think we're going to resolve this problem, because this product drifts," said Frederickson. "I don't think we're going to end up with zero complaints, but I hope the trend is down."
Correction (Dec. 12, 2017): A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the number of acres damaged by dicamba drift. The story has been updated.