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EPA Reapproves Dicamba for GM Soybeans and Cotton With New Restrictions

The agency cites growers' need to control resistant weeds, adding temperature, acreage and buffer limits.

Overview

  • Federal courts in 2020 and 2024 had vacated earlier dicamba approvals over drift damage, making this the third EPA authorization for over-the-top use.
  • The new labels cap per-acre applications, restrict spraying during high temperatures and require buffer zones, with the EPA saying use is safe when directions are followed.
  • Bayer plans to market the product as Stryax, seek state approvals and begin applicator training and stewardship education in the coming weeks.
  • The American Soybean Association applauded the decision, arguing that clear rules help farmers manage resistant weeds for the next growing season.
  • Environmental groups and MAHA activists denounced the reapproval as insufficient to prevent drift, pointing to year-round use and studies linking exposure to certain cancers.