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In-season Applications of Dicamba on Xtend Soybeans Deadline - July 15th in Illinois

07/08/2019
In-season Applications of Dicamba on Xtend Soybeans Deadline - July 15th in Illinois
  • The Illinois Department of Agriculture extended the dicamba application window from June 30th to July 15th to allow growers an additional weed control option in Xtend soybeans.
  • If the application window for dicamba sprays has passed, there are still other options for weed control.
  • Follow the label and best management practices to keep dicamba as an effective tool for weed management.

In 2019 growers have been faced with adverse conditions to get the crop planted in a timely manner. Since much of the Midwest was behind the 5-year planting average for both corn and soybeans (USDA, NASS), the Illinois Department of Agriculture met to discuss the June 30 dicamba cutoff date and ultimately decided to extend the deadline to July 15. However, keep in mind that the federal label states that applications can only be made to dicamba-tolerant soybeans prior to the R1 growth stage (one open flower at any node of the main stem) or within 45 days of the soybean planting date, whichever comes first. Soybeans traditionally begin to flower shortly before or after the summer solstice (June 21) and maybe a little later in late planting seasons. This means that this year we will see much shorter soybeans flowering. For instance, you could have soybeans with only 4 trifoliates and flowering, but they may have been planted for only 22 days. In this case scenario spraying dicamba would be off label. Additionally, keep in mind the increased risk for off target movement, especially when spraying this late in the season and always follow the label to reduce the risk of injury to non-target crops.

Also, remember that if the application window for dicamba sprays has passed, there are other herbicide options for weed control. Nonetheless, these products need to be applied to small weeds and coverage is essential for effective weed control to be accomplished. For example, a product like Cobra®, a foliar applied PPO inhibitor, would be a viable option for control of problematic weeds. Additionally, to mitigate the risk of carryover to next year’s crop, product labels should be checked prior to the application for their planting interval restrictions to the following crop. This is especially true for products that contain fomesafen, for which a rotation restriction of 10 months must be observed when rotating to corn the following season. For example, if you applied Flexstar® on July 1, 2019 you wouldn’t be able to plant corn until at least May 1 of 2020.

As the application cutoff dates approaches, follow the dicamba label and best management practices to keep this product as an effective and viable tool for weed management. If you have questions regarding dicamba applications and stewardship guidelines or other weed control options after the cutoff date, contact your local FS Crop Specialist. 

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