ILLINOIS — A Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to vacate the registrations of 3 dicamba herbicides means that effective immediately, soybean farmers could no longer spray dicamba herbicides on their crops. This was especially problematic according to USDA’s most recent Crop Progress report that as of May 31st, 75% of soybean acres had been planted, leaving 25% to still be planted.

A group of Illinois House Republican members sent a letter to the governor asking for that time period to be extended in order to make up for the time farmers lost in the fields due to the ruling. State Representative Terry Bryant (R-Murphysboro) was one of those who signed the letter. Bryant says due to dicamba damage done to nearby orchards in her district, she believes new regulations need to be drafted for the next growing season.

This week, EPA has issued a cancellation order saying they will allow farmers to use existing stocks of dicamba that were in their possession as of June 3rd. Farmers will have to use these existing stocks according to their former labels no later than July 31st. Before the ruling was made by the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Illinois Department of Agriculture allowed the use of dicamba until June 20th. However, that extension has been pushed to June 25th as of an Illinois Department of Agriculture statement this morning.