EPA Announces Reapproval of Dicamba Products
February 9, 2026 The Environmental Protection Agency has re-registered the over-the-top dicamba application for dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybean crops today, February 6. The announcement comes exactly two years to the day since a US. District Court in Arizona announced it was vacating the registration of three dicamba-based products – BASF’s Engenia, Syngenta’s Tavium and Bayer’s XtendiMax.
In an EPA announcement, the agency touts the new registration as “the strongest protections in agency history for over-the-top (OTT) dicamba application.” The agency has approved dicamba twice before, only to have the registration vacated later by federal courts, citing off-target drift concerns. The new registration will cover the next two growing seasons, according to the EPA release.
“This decision responds directly to the strong advocacy of America’s cotton and soybean farmers, particularly growers across the Cotton Belt, who have been clear and consistent about the critical challenges they face without access to this tool for controlling resistant weeds in their growing crops,” according to the EPA release.
The EPA release includes a lengthy listing of new restrictions for the 2026 registration.
“EPA’s decision provides growers much-needed clarity as they prepare for the upcoming growing season,” said Patrick Johnson, Chairman of the National Cotton Council, in a release issued shortly following the EPA announcement. “We support label requirements that are workable in the field and backed by a science-based registration process. NCC will continue engaging with the EPA to advocate for practical provisions that enable responsible use.”
Representatives from the American Soybean Association offered similar sentiments.
“We appreciate EPA moving forward with a new dicamba label and recognize the importance of maintaining access to this tool for soybean farmers,” said Scott Metzger, president of the American Soybean Association and an Ohio soybean grower. “Farmers need clear, workable rules that accurately reflect how we farm. We look forward to reviewing the final label and hope it incorporates the feedback ASA and its state affiliates provided to ensure dicamba remains a practical option within a responsible, science-based weed management system.”
The registration allows Bayer to move forward with an expected launch of the Stryax dicamba herbicide for the 2026 season for use in dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybeans.
Read the entire EPA release, including new label restrictions, here.
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