LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is reminding farmers and applicators of the Arkansas State Plant Board’s rule that prohibits in-crop agricultural use of dicamba after June 30.
On February 6, 2024, the U.S. District Court of Arizona issued a ruling that vacated 2020 registrations for the following dicamba products: XtendiMax, Engenia, and Tavium. On February 14, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an existing stocks order that allows limited sale, distribution, and use of existing stocks already in the possession of growers or in the channels of trade and outside the control of pesticide companies as of February 6, 2024. The cut-off dates outlined in the order are consistent with the application cut-off dates on the previously approved federal label of the dicamba products at the time the registrations were vacated. The order can be found at epa.gov/system/files/ documents/2024-02/dicamba-notice-existing-stocks-order_02142024.pdf
The June 30 cut-off date is controlling in Arkansas despite later deadlines provided in the existing stocks order issued by the EPA on February 14, 2024. The Arkansas State Plant Board rule includes additional restrictions on burndown and tank mixes and is consistent with the Federal Fungicide, Insecticide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that allows states to impose more restrictive use requirements than the federal order. The Arkansas rules on pesticide use in Arkansas can be found at agriculture.arkansas.gov /plant-industries/rules-and-regulations/.
Farmers and applicators who fail to comply with the Arkansas rule on in-crop agricultural use of dicamba may be subject to civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation and possible suspension or revocation of their applicator license.
Suspected pesticide misuse complaints may be filed at cognitoforms.com/Arkansas Agriculture1/RequestForAllegedPesticideMisuseDriftInvestigation or by calling the Pesticide Section at (501) 225-1598.
