Tifton, GA |
For Georgia farmers, few sights are more alarming than a field overtaken by pigweed. The aggressive, invasive species can grow more than an inch per day and has developed resistance to multiple herbicides — making it one of the most challenging weeds producers face.
In 2024, one of their most effective tools in that fight — dicamba — was taken off the table due to product registration issues. Now, thanks to a recent EPA ruling, dicamba products will once again be available for use this growing season, though under stricter conditions.
“Number one, you got to have a restricted use pesticide license, the applicator themselves,” said Stanley Culpepper, Extension Weed Specialist with the University of Georgia. “So, if you’re going to use that on the farm, make sure the applicator’s got that license. If you don’t have that license, now is a good opportunity to go and get that.”
Culpepper says mandatory training will also be required.
“The second thing, which is not new, but is very important is there’s required, mandatory training,” he explained. “And with the required, mandatory training, that is when we will focus on all the changes on the label. And in fact, there are probably about fifteen different items on the label that we will go through.”
New Restrictions in Place
Among the most significant updates are a cap of two-and-a-half pounds of dicamba applications per year and a requirement that forty ounces per acre of an approved volatility reduction agent be added to each application.
While those extra steps add another layer of responsibility, growers say access to dicamba is critical — especially considering how much of Georgia’s cotton seed was developed specifically for dicamba tolerance.
“This is obviously a huge deal for cotton in Georgia and cotton producers in Georgia,” said Taylor Sills, Executive Director of the Georgia Cotton Commission. “Because the vast majority of cotton in Georgia has that dicamba tolerant trait as part of its trait package. So, I mean, it’s a tremendous, tremendous deal. You know, it’s something that producers were paying for and not having access to when they procured the seed that had that trait in the package.”
Balancing Access and Accountability
The return of dicamba has not been without controversy. Environmental groups have raised concerns in the past about spray drift and off-target movement. However, Culpepper says Georgia growers have made tremendous strides in responsible use.
“I think one thing we have to celebrate in the state of Georgia, is over the last decade, our growers have reduced off target pesticide movement by over ninety-one percent,” Culpepper said. “They are true stewards. They are the environmentalists of environmentalists. They’re the true stewards of agriculture. When they apply herbicide, they have done their homework. They know exactly how to maximize on target application, maximize control.”
Still, the industry understands that scrutiny will remain high during this two-year registration period. Farmers know continued access depends on strict compliance.
“I think with what we’ve been through, this is probably our last opportunity to prove not only to our regulatory partners, but to prove to ourselves and our consumers that we can steward these tools,” Culpepper said. “And again, Georgia’s shown that. We have truly shown that. We’ve adopted these technologies. We’re using them on large acreage.”
With pigweed pressure unlikely to ease anytime soon, Georgia producers are hopeful this renewed access — paired with responsible application — will help protect yields and preserve a critical line of defense in their fields.
By: Damon Jones