A state Section 24(c) Special Local Need Label has been approved by the U.S. EPA and Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) allowing directed and hooded applications for Engenia, FeXapan, and XtendiMax.
Label Information:
1. Applicators must have attended (and registered) a 2019 Using Pesticide Wisely training and must be a certified applicator.
2. Each applicator must have the label of the product they decide to use in their possession during the application. Labels can be obtained at the GDA web site: https://agr.georgia.gov/24c.aspx. Once on the website, click “go to dicamba page”; then select the “24C label” for the product of choice. These labels will provide detailed information needed to make a proper application.
3. Hooded applications: May use any standard spray tip as long as droplets are coarse or larger in size (>341 microns VMD50). Hoods must remain in contact with soil while making the application. A maximum of 6 mph sprayer speed. Tolerant cotton or soybeans must be at least 15 inches in height at time of application.
3. Directed Layby applications: May use any standard spray tip as long as droplets are coarse or larger in size (>341 microns VMD50). Spray release point must not be more than 10 inches from the soil and the cotton or soybean must be at least 20 inches in height. Spray tip must be angled downward toward the soil making sure no spray droplets remain in the air. A maximum of 6 mph sprayer speed is required.
4. Engenia, FeXapan, and XtendiMax can be mixed with any other labeled cotton or soybean herbicides approved on the manufactures websites (www.engeniatankmix.com; www.xtendimaxapplicationrequirements.com; https://www.corteva.us/products-and-solutions/crop-protection/fexapan.html).
Do not tank-mix with AMS or glufosinate products (Liberty, etc.)
A few questions and answers:
1. Do hood or layby applications reduce the buffer requirements currently required for topical applications? NO!
2. Do hood or layby applications increase the application window for these dicamba formulations? Yes. Hooded or directed applications can be made in-crop up until 7 days pre-harvest for cotton and up to beginning bloom in soybean.
Special thanks: The authors would like to thank the U.S. EPA for their willingness to discuss and ultimately support these new labels. The opportunity for Georgia agriculture to further steward pesticides by reducing off-target drift while simultaneously improving weed control through improved spray coverage of weeds is a result of sound science and cooperation.