Public comment period set for proposed Dicamba Rule

LITTLE ROCK — A 30-day public comment period has been set for a proposed rule to allow the use of dicamba in Arkansas on soybean and cotton varieties resistant to dicamba. The draft rule may be found at agriculture.arkansas.gov/plant-industries/rules-and-regulations/proposed-rules/.
Written public comments will be accepted from March 24 through April 22, 2021. Comments may be submitted online at agriculture.arkansas.gov starting March 24 or mailed to: Plant Industries Division, P.O. Box 1069, Little Rock, AR 72203.
At its March 3 meeting, the Arkansas State Plant Board approved a draft rule for dicamba use in Arkansas that would allow farmers and applicators to follow the federal label in the use of dicamba. The proposed rule would allow the over-the-top spraying of Engenia, Xtendimax, and Tavium through June 30 on soybeans and through July 30 on cotton. The proposed rule will also require a pH buffering agent, also called a Volatility Reducing Agent, to be tank-mixed with dicamba, and will require a downwind buffer of 240 feet.

The current cutoff date for spraying dicamba in Arkansas is May 25. The May 25 cutoff will remain in effect until a new rule has received final approval.
In accordance with the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, the proposed rule will be open for public comment for 30 days. Following the public comment period, the board will review any comments received and determine if any changes should be adopted as a result of the comments. The rule will then go to the Arkansas Legislative Council’s Administrative Rules Subcommittee, with additional review and approval by the full Arkansas Legislative Council.
Notice of future Plant Board meetings will be posted on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s website as the information becomes available.