Farmers trained on using herbicide blamed for crop damage


Farmers trained on using herbicide blamed for crop damage


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Tens of thousands of soybean and cotton farmers across the country are taking free but mandatory training in how to properly use a weed killer blamed for drifting and damaging crops in neighboring fields.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required the training and other restrictions last fall in a deal with three major agribusiness companies — Monsanto, BASF and DuPont. All three make special formulations of dicamba for use on new soybean and cotton varieties that are genetically engineered to resist the herbicide, using seed technology commercialized by Monsanto. The products are increasingly popular because they give farmers a new weapon against aggressive weeds such as pigweed that have become resistant to other herbicides such as glyphosate, also known as Roundup...

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Ken Notes: I love farmers, but using these products incorrectly is a huge problem for organic farmers, growers of grapes and hops, and our waterways. We need the training and enforcement and most importantly education.

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- - Volume: 6 - WEEK: 8 Date: 2/19/2018 12:22:41 PM -