There are an estimated 3.1 million acres of possible dicamba damage in many parts of the country. Farm Journal says researchers are working to figure out what it will take to make sure farmers have long-term access to the chemical. Dicamba is currently on a conditional two-year label. Monsanto says the product label is accurate as it is and more education about following the label is essential for the future of the product. Ty Whitten, a Monsanto Crop Protection lead, says they’ve been on over 1,000 calls and everything they’ve found supports the label as it stands. He says, “If growers follow the label, they have success.” Whitten notes that even the smallest variation from the label could result in off-target movement. Factors like wind speed, sprayer speed, nozzle types, temperature inversions, and boom height, are all critical to making sure the dicamba stays where it should. Whitten says what happens at application is the key to influencing how far the product can potentially drift. For example, a boom height of more than the recommended 24-inch maximum can more than double the potential for dicamba drift.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.