Bayer again seeks approval for dicamba

Bayer Crop Science is trying again to get the drift-prone herbicide dicamba back on the US market for use on soybeans and cotton crops that are genetically modified to tolerate it. In response to a Feb. 6 court ruling that vacated the US Environmental Protection Agency's approval of dicamba for such uses, Bayer has proposed slight changes to how and when farmers can apply the herbicide. The proposal would allow growers to spray dicamba on soybeans until seedlings emerge but no later than June 12 each year and to spray it over the top of cotton until July 30. Dicamba is problematic in summer heat because it is volatile in high temperatures and in temperature inversions, which occur when cool air near the ground is trapped beneath warm air. Once in the air, the herbicide can drift and damage or kill unintended plants in its way. The EPA allowed farmers