Arkansas Plant Board to Accept Dicamba Label Application Deadlines

By Cotton Grower Staff|March 11, 2021

On March 3, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s State Plant Board considered a petition seeking changes to the state’s current dicamba guidelines – Section XIII(B) of the Arkansas Rules on Pesticide Use – and proposed a rule that would allow the state’s farmers and applicators to follow the federal label when using dicamba.

The proposed rule would allow the over-the-top spraying of Engenia, XtendiMax and Tavium dicamba herbicides through June 30 on soybeans and through July 30 on cotton. The proposed rule will also require a pH buffering agent (Volatility Reducing Agent) to be tank-mixed with dicamba and will require a downwind buffer of 240 feet.

The current cutoff date for dicamba applications in Arkansas is May 25. That date will remain in effect until a new rule has received final approval.

Following a 30-day public comment, the board will review any comments and determine if any changes should be adopted. The rule will then go the Arkansas Legislative Council’s Administrative Rules Subcommittee, with additional review and approval by the full Arkansas Legislative Council before becoming effective.

A copy of the proposed rule can be found on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s website.