Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Accepts Request for State-Level Label Amendments for Dicamba Products

DES MOINES, Iowa—The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship today announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved label amendments to implement a June 20 application cutoff date for dicamba herbicide application for the 2022 growing season. The state-level restriction is aimed at preserving access to dicamba herbicide products and reducing the risk of off-site movement of the products.“Iowa is a national leader in agricultural production and our farmers need continued access to weed management technology to protect their crops,” said Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. “I’m glad that EPA has agreed to preserve access to a critical tool that farmers need, however, I’m frustrated by the lack of urgency that EPA has shown throughout this process. Our team will work with stakeholders to ensure that Iowans are aware of this change as we quickly approach the growing season.”The June 20 cutoff date was submitted by registrants for EPA review in January. Affected products include Engenia by BASF, Tavium by Syngenta, and XtendiMax by Bayer.Background on Dicamba-Related RestrictionsEPA enacted a federal dicamba application cutoff date of June 30 for the 2021 growing season.On Dec. 21, 2021, EPA provided a summary of dicamba-related incidents from the 2021 growing season. In its report, EPA said it “is reviewing whether over-the-top dicamba can be used in a manner that does not pose reasonable risks to non-target crops and other plants, or to listed species and their designated critical habitats.”EPA also said it would work with states to address issues related to incidents in their jurisdictions.“The rise in litigation targeting pesticide product registrations and off-target pesticide misuse complaints pose a threat to farmers’ long-term access to dicamba,” said Secretary Naig. “While I would have preferred a reasonable, federal solution to this issue, we will implement this approach at the state level to help ensure continued access for Iowa farmers.”Pesticide Misuse InvestigationsThe following is historical Iowa-specific data for pesticide and alleged growth regulator-related (dicamba) misuse investigations conducted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Crop Year*	Total Pesticide Misuse Investigations	Total Growth Regulator Misuse Investigations
2013	125	39
2014	88	31
2015	118	40
2016	110	43
2017	248	171
2018	245	145
2019	252	128
2020	320	223
2021	315	223