Farmers Face Tough Choice On Controversial Weedkiller

Photo: Farmers attend Dicamba training in Cadiz, Kentucky. Nicole Erwin | Ohio Valley ReSource

Jeff McGrew stood in line with about 30 other west Kentucky farmers awaiting certification that they’ve been trained to apply the herbicide Dicamba. The two hour session explained the Environmental Protection Agency’s new restrictions on use of the controversial herbicide.

The session left McGrew uncertain about whether to use the spray. “I’m undecided right now but I’m leaning towards not spraying it,” he said. “I don’t think in our area we’re going to have much of any place that there will be enough area that we won’t have buffer zones or other sensitive crops and I’m not sure that it’s going to work out for us.”

EPA requires all users have training before they can legally apply the product. As the ReSource reported in September, soybean farmers in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia identified more than 50,000 acres of crops affected by misuse of the herbicide in 2017. The spray is meant to protect soybeans from weeds but can harm other plants if improperly applied or if it drifts under certain weather conditions.

McGrew is worried about damage at a farm he plans to rent this […]

Full article: Farmers Face Tough Choice On Controversial Weedkiller

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