ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) today announced that state-specific restrictions for three over-the-top use dicamba herbicide products will be in place for the 2026 growing season. The restrictions are aimed at curbing off-site movement of the products.
The affected dicamba formulations are Engenia by BASF, Tavium by Syngenta, and XtendiMax by Bayer. These are “restricted use pesticides” approved for use on dicamba-tolerant soybeans only. Dicamba products are limited for sale to and use by certified applicators. Applicators must comply with these and any other restrictions listed on the manufacturer’s website. Applicators must check the manufacturer’s website no more than seven days before application.
Producers were prohibited from using dicamba herbicides last year because of a 2024 court decision vacating a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration. The EPA on Feb. 6 announced it was re-registering the three dicamba products for the next two growing seasons, with the MDA following suit and re-registering the products for use in the state with restrictions. Pesticide product registrations are renewed on an annual basis in Minnesota.
Since dicamba was first registered for use on dicamba-tolerant soybeans in 2017, the MDA fielded complaints each year of off-site movement onto neighboring property. The chemical is highly volatile and can damage non-target plant species through spray drift and/or volatilization. Volatility is influenced by several factors including temperature, relative humidity, rate of application, and crop stage.
These dicamba products have the following restrictions this year in Minnesota:
- DATE CUTOFF: No application shall be made south of Interstate 94 after June 12. North of Interstate 94, use is prohibited after June 30.
- TEMPERATURE CUTOFF (for the entire state): No application shall be made if the air temperature at the field at the time of application is over 85 degrees Fahrenheit or if the National Weather Service’s forecasted high temperature for the nearest available location for the day exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Federal restrictions and requirements on the product label include:
- Requiring an approved drift-reducing agent and pH-buffering volatility-reducing agent be tank-mixed with dicamba products before all applications;
- Requiring downwind buffers of 240 feet and 310 feet in areas where listed endangered species are located (visit the EPA website to determine whether a 310-foot buffer is required);
- Mandatory training;
- Additional recordkeeping.
