The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) joined industry partners and producers in submitting comments to the EPA in early June 2024 supporting a proposed registration from Bayer for the use of low-volatility dicamba on dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton.

Having access to post-emergent use of low-volatility dicamba is incredibly important to soybean growers in Minnesota, MSGA President Bob Worth wrote in his comments. For many Minnesota farmers, dicamba is the only remaining post-emergent herbicide to which their local weed populations have not developed resistance.

“Minnesota’s soybean farmers recognize the importance of having multiple modes of action to control weeds that threaten to rob our soybean yields,” Worth wrote. “Our farmers have relied on access to post-emergent use of low-volatility dicamba to control destructive weeds and support important conservation practices. Herbicide-resistant lambsquarters, cocklebur, ragweed, thistle, horseweed and more are either present in or threatening Minnesota’s farm fields.”

Minnesota’s guidelines, which were established by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture with recommendations from MSGA, had resulted in a 90% decrease in alleged off-site movement onto neighboring property from its peak in 2021. After a federal ruling in February 2024 put dicamba in jeopardy, MSGA urged EPA to give farmers clarity for the 2025 growing season.

“We strongly support EPA advancing a new registration for the use of low-volatility post-emergent dicamba for use on soybeans,” Worth wrote. “Furthermore, we urge EPA to complete its work on a new low-volatility dicamba registration expeditiously, ideally no later than the end of September 2024 to give much-needed certainty to markets and supply chains.”

Click here to read MSGA’s comments in full.