Arkansas judge rules six farmers can spray controversial chemical dicamba
Source: Reuters
ENVIRONMENT APRIL 2, 2018 / 7:01 PM / UPDATED 6 HOURS AGO
Arkansas judge rules six farmers can spray controversial chemical
Tom Polansek
3 MIN READ
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An Arkansas judge has ruled that six farmers in the state this summer can spray a weed killer made by Monsanto Co and BASF SE that was blamed for hurting millions of acres of U.S. crops last year.
The decision is the latest twist in the saga surrounding herbicides based on the chemical known as dicamba and immediately sparked concerns about the potential for more damage. Other states are also limiting sprayings of the herbicide, and farmers are suing its manufacturers over crop damage linked to its use last summer.
Dicamba is meant to be used during the summer on soybeans and cotton that Monsanto genetically engineered to resist the chemical. Growers across the U.S. farm belt said last summer that dicamba drifted away from where it was sprayed, damaging crops that could not tolerate the chemical.
In Arkansas, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox ruled on Friday the six farmers can spray dicamba-based herbicides past an April 15 cutoff date that applies to the rest of the state, their attorney Grant Ballard said on Monday.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pesticides-arkansas/arkansas-judge-rules-six-farmers-can-spray-controversial-chemical-idUSKCN1H9203
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