Croplink

By Pamela Smith, Crops Technology Editor

Don't be late for class. Special training is required to spray Engenia, XtendiMax, FeXapan or Tavium dicamba formulations in 2020.

This is the third year for dicamba-specific training, and it doesn't matter whether you've taken the class before. The federal label requires yearly training for these herbicides whether you are using them in the Xtend Crop System or in other uses, such as corn.

Jean Payne, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association president, says there have been cases where applicators were asked to produce evidence a class was completed in 2019 -- only to find they'd taken it the year prior.

"We can't stress this enough: The class must be taken every year, and everyone who intends to apply any of these four dicamba products must take the class," Payne says.

It's also a federal requirement that only certified applicators apply and handle these dicamba products. Employees or family members working under the supervision of a certified applicator -- whether retail or private -- is no longer sufficient.

Paraquat plans? The EPA now also requires that you be a certified applicator and complete a paraquat safety class. The training provides information about paraquat's toxicity, new label requirements and restrictions, and the consequences of misuse. The training must be retaken every three years and is available online at campus.extension.org/enrol/index.php?id=1660.

To find where to obtain dicamba training or the oversight agency in your state, visit npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html.

Follow the latest from Pamela Smith, Crops Technology Editor, by visiting the Production Blogs at dtnpf.com or following her on Twitter: @PamSmithDTN.

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