EPA Considers New Registration for Dicamba, Opens Comment Period
July 28, 2025 In a July 23 statement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it is releasing for public comment proposed registration for three end-use dicamba products for broadleaf weed control in dicamba-tolerant cotton and dicamba-tolerant soybeans.
The statement noted, “EPA has conducted a robust human health risk assessment for these proposed products and has not identified any human health or dietary risks of concern. Additionally, the agency is proposing to put several measures in place to protect against the ecological risks found in EPA’s assessment. These new products would give farmers an additional tool to help manage crops and increase yields in order to provide a healthy and affordable food supply for our country.”
The proposed dicamba products would again allow postemergence over-the-top (OTT) applications to dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybean to help manage emerged broadleaf weed species resistant to other herbicides that compete with cotton and soybean plants and potentially reduce crop yield.
As part of the proposed registration, EPA has developed new, additional mitigations to minimize impact to certain plant species. With these proposed measures in place, EPA’s draft biological evaluation predicts that the use of dicamba will not result in a likelihood of future jeopardy for the survival of any listed species, or a likelihood of adverse modification for any designated critical habitat. The proposed registrations also would not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment – including fish or aquatic plants – with these mitigations. EPA also concluded low risk for honeybees and other non-listed bees.
The proposed mitigation measures for the three proposed products are:
- A single use maximum application rate of 0.5 lb. acid equivalent (a.e.) dicamba per acre.
- No more than two applications allowed with a maximum annual application of 1 lb. a.e. dicamba per acre from all combined dicamba-containing products.
- Prohibition of aerial applications.
- Maintaining a 240-ft downwind buffer.
- The spray solution must include an approved drift reduction agent and pH buffering volatility reduction agent added to the tank in higher percentages as temperatures increase.
- Temperature-dependent application restrictions to manage volatility. Users have flexibility to implement temperature-dependent restrictions by reducing the percent of field treated, including by using precision agriculture techniques, or prohibiting certain tank mixes at higher temperatures.
- No applications at temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Three points of mitigation required based on the EPA Runoff/Erosion Mitigation menu.
- Users must access and follow any applicable endangered species bulletin from the “Bulletins Live! Two” web-based system. Six points of runoff/erosion mitigation will be required in some pesticide use limitation areas where pesticide exposures are likely to impact the continued existence of a listed species, which may include a reduction in survival or recovery of the species.
- Applicators are required to wear baseline attire (i.e., long-sleeve shirt, long pants and shoes plus socks) along with personal protective equipment, including chemical-resistant gloves, when handling these products. A NIOSH-approved dust/mist filtering respirator with any R, P, or HE filter is also required for all handlers of the product. There is a 24-hour restricted entry interval, and product use is restricted to a limited number of approved states by certified applicators only. Applicators are required to complete additional dicamba-specific annual training and maintain records of all applications.
A public comment period regarding the proposed registration of the dicamba products is now open through August 22, 2025. EPA is particularly interested in feedback about the temperature-dependent volatility mitigations, percent of field treated restrictions, and any science-backed solutions to manage volatility. For more information about the products and to provide feedback, see docket ID EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0154 0154 at Regulations.gov.
Next Steps
After considering public comments on the proposed registration and the draft effects determinations, EPA will decide whether the registration action meets the standard for registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). If registration action is granted, EPA will finalize the biological evaluation in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service if appropriate.
No timeline for the final decision was announced.
Industry Reactions
Industry reaction to the EPA announcement, as anticipated, was mixed.
From BASF: “BASF remains committed to a science-based decision-making process and working with regulatory authorities and other stakeholders throughout this process to ensure OTT uses of dicamba remain an option for farmers in the future.”
From Bayer: “We’re pleased to see that the EPA has made significant progress and opened a public comment period for low-volatility dicamba herbicides to be used over the top of dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybeans. This technology provides tremendous value to soybean and cotton farmers across the U.S., and we believe the EPA will benefit from hearing from those closest to the technology. We know how important this technology is for so many growers, and we will continue working to help ensure these low-volatility dicamba herbicides remain available for over-the-top use in 2026 and beyond.”
From the Center for Food Safety: “EPA has had seven long years of massive drift damage to learn that dicamba cannot be used safely with GE dicamba-resistant crops. If we allow these proposed decisions to go through, farmers and residents throughout rural America will again see their crops, trees, and home gardens decimated by dicamba drift, and natural areas like wildlife refuges will also suffer. EPA must reverse course and withdraw its plans to re-approve this hazardous herbicide.”
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