With the public comment period, the agency stated it's particularly interested in hearing how the proposed mitigation measures would be implemented by farmer stakeholders.
Today, the EPA opened its 30-day public comment period for a proposed registration of dicamba in over-the-top applications. The federal agency received applications from Bayer, BASF and Syngenta, which have marketed XtendiMax, Engenia, and Tavium plus VaporGrip.
Those products were not labeled for use in 2025 after have their registration were vacated by a U.S. district court in 2024. The ruling was based on EPA violating public input procedures on the three products.
"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." Bayer officials said in a statement.
With the public comment period, the agency stated it's particularly interested in hearing how the proposed mitigation measures would be implemented by farmer stakeholders. Those include: temperature-dependent volatility mitigations, percent of field treated restrictions and any science-backed solutions to manage volatility. EPA is proposing the following nine mitigation measures:
1, A single use maximum application rate of 0.5 lb. acid equivalent (a.e.) dicamba per acre.
2, 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.
3, Prohibition of aerial applications.
4, Maintaining a 240-ft downwind buffer.
5, 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.
6, 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.
7, Three points of mitigation required based on the runoff/erosion mitigation menu.
8, Users must access and follow any applicable endangered species bulletin from "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.
9, Applicators are required to wear baseline attire 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 BAPMA-salt-formulated product. There is a restricted entry interval of 24 hours. 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.
The public comment period is scheduled to close on Aug. 22, 2025. The next step will be EPA's review of the registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Next is a biological evaluation, and then an Endangered Species Act consultation.
"We believe the EPA will benefit from hearing from those closest to the technology. This will help to ensure any decisions regarding the registration of dicamba are fully informed by those who rely on this important tool. Even a simple comment explaining the important role dicamba plays on a particular farm can be impactful and useful for the EPA," Bayer's statement continued.
