Treated Seed Exemption Under Fire (Again)
A coalition of environmental groups has filed a lawsuit against EPA in a running legal fight to eliminate treated seed from an exemption under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The EPA does not require registration of treated seed under FIFRA’s “treated articles” exemption. The environmental groups petitioned EPA in 2017 asking the agency to regulate treated seed, taking particular aim at neonicotinoid treatments. When the agency failed to act, the environmental groups filed suit to force EPA to make a decision on their petition. Last fall, the EPA denied the groups’ petition. The new lawsuit is the next step to challenge the Agency’s decision to exempt treated seed. You can read more from DTN Progressive Farmer’s Todd Neeley here.
Dicamba Resistance Confirmed in North Dakota
The first confirmed case of dicamba-resistant waterhemp has been confirmed in North Dakota according to a report in Farm & Ranch Guide. North Dakota State University Extension specialist Joe Ikley reported that samples from populations in two counties survived 3x rates of dicamba, and another county showed resistance at the full label rate. The North Dakota confirmation adds to the growing list of states with dicamba-resistant weed populations, including Illinois, Kansas, and Tennessee. It is interesting to note that while dicamba has been in use for weed control since the 1960s (close to 60 years), chronic cases of resistance seem to have become an issue in just the last 4 to 5 years.
